Eye Dotting Ceremony! Start of PDX Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race Season

The Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association (PKSCA) is proud to present the Eye Dotting Ceremony, signaling the start of the 12 week long Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race season. A Buddhist Master from Portland Miao Fa Temple will conduct a formal Buddhist ceremony blessing the dragon boats. The event includes the formal dotting of the eyes of the Traditional-style dragon boats by dignitaries, and a parade of dragon boats with a Portland Fire Boat display. The ceremony is free and open to the public. The event begins outside the King Tide Fish & Shell restaurant at the Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel, 1510 S Harbor Way, Portland, OR 97201 and finishes on the Riverplace Marina docks.

According to ancient Chinese culture the dragon is not a powerful animal but rather a legendary creature, a totem, or a symbol of god or the emperor. Dotting the eyes transforms a dragon painting into a real dragon, which would then fly away. Which is to say that life or spirit is imbued to a piece of artwork and turning it into a lively real thing, virtually awakening the dragon. The dotting of the eyes involves painting open the eyes of the dragon head carved on the boats, which is done by dignitaries, including the Portland Rose Festival Foundation, and the Rosarians, as well as the Taiwan Consulate General.. Additionally, a blessing of the dragon boats takes place, where a Buddhist Master will conduct a formal Buddhist ceremony. The ceremony marks the beginning of the 12 week long Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race season.

Local dragon boat teams will participate in a parade on the Willamette River, while the Portland Fire Boat puts on a display. Visitors can experience the event beginning outside the King Tide Fish & Shell restaurant at the Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel, and proceeding to the Riverplace Marina docks.

The Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association (PKSCA), founded in 1987, has presented the Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race annually, since 1989. The mission of the Portland Kaohsiung Sister City Association is to promote people to people exchanges of educational, artistic and cultural activities in accordance with the spirit of the Sister City International and to promote Portland and Kaohsiung, Taiwan to the world. The race is a celebrated part of the Portland Rose Festival, consisting of over fifty teams from around Portland and beyond. The race features Traditional-style dragon boats and 3 team categories (High School, Mixed, Women’s) spread over 3 divisions. Each individual race involves 4 boats, with each team composed of a caller, paddlers, a tiller, and a flag catcher. The race is held in early June on the Willamette River located at South Hawthorne Waterfront Park in downtown Portland.

Save the Date! April 1st, 2023, 11:00am-12:30pm, Outside the King Tide Fish & Shell restaurant at the Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel, 1510 S Harbor Way, Portland, OR 97201, and visit our website at pksca.net, or follow us on social media @pksca.db.race, for more information.

Host or Publisher Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race