This week we attended a factory opening in Suzhou. What a grand affair! We arrived on a red carpet and were escorted by pretty Chinese girls to a table where we had to sign our names and receive a welcome gift.
A band of drummers were playing very loudly in the background, while a red and green dragon were dancing. After we were shown around the factory, several speeches were made and a giant ribbon was cut. While the ribbon was being cut and all the dignitories stood on the podium we were treated to a spectacular daylight firework show on the theme music of the Cowboy series "The High Chaparal". VERY loud fire crackers went off and in stead of the normal little explosions of light against a black sky, the tiny "sparks" were done with confetti.
Irene helping to cut the ribbon
After all of this, the partners of the new factory were given a paint brush and the red and green dragons kneeled in front of them to have their eye balls painted. The symbolism behind it is very interesting. The ceremony is called "hua long dian jing". The story goes that there was a brilliant painter who painted two dragons. After he finished his work of art people noticed that he left out the eyes of the dragons. Asking him why he did not paint the eyes, the reply came that the dragons would then be perfect and that they would fly off the picture and into the sky.
With openings of factories or with graduation ceremonies it is custom to "paint the dragon's eye balls". The "artist" paints the last detail that will make his/her venture perfect and the venture will form thereon go from strength to strengh.
Here is a little video insert of the painting of the dragon's eyeballs:
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