What is Eye Dotting in Lion Dance and Why is It Important?
- Sifu Michael Tan
- Oct 9
- 4 min read
Eye dotting in Chinese culture is an important aspect of lion dance and dragon dance traditions. This ritual takes place before a lion or dragon’s first public performance, which symbolizes the “awakening” of the animal. Often, important dignitaries will dot the eyes and other parts of the body with red pigment and cover the animal in auspicious decorations. This is believed to help it ward off evil spirits and usher in good fortune.
This article will go over all of the details of why eye dotting is performed, how the ceremony works, and why we carry on this tradition as an integral part of our performances.
The meaning behind every eye-dotting ceremony
Eye dotting, also known in Cantonese as deem jing (點睛) symbolizes the awakening of a lion before its first performance. In Chinese tradition, lion dances are believed to bring blessings and good luck to all those who watch, as well as drive away evil spirits. But to fully unleash the power within, it is believed that the lion must be awakened first.
Conducting an eye-dotting ceremony for a lion’s first performance is always done before the show gets underway. The lion is otherwise considered “asleep” and cannot perform its duties as expected.
When eye dotting happens before lion dance performances
Eye dotting always occurs before a newly crafted lion’s first performance. Sometimes, eye dotting can also happen at other major events with major dignitaries and VIPs.
When we performed a lion dance before the BC Provincial Government, we were honoured to have Premier David Eby and some of his MLAs partake in the eye-dotting ritual.
Eye dotting will often also occur with dragon dances, kirin dances, and other traditional Chinese performances. For example, Chau Luen Athletics has been leading the performances at Vancouver’s Fire Dragon Festival since 2021. Each year, a new fire dragon is created by local artists. Because it’s a new dragon, the eye-dotting ceremony is conducted every year before the dragon is set alight for the performance to begin.
How an eye-dotting ceremony is performed
The eye-dotting ceremony often involves guests of honour who are part of the event. For instance, government officials, business leaders, community partners, or Indigenous chiefs.
Senior leadership at Chau Luen Athletics, like Sifu Michael Tan, will guide the dignitaries through the process. Other members on the team (sometimes members of our kids’ class) will be on standby with a special eye-dotting tray, complete with all of the materials used in the ceremony. These include:
calligraphy brushes,
ginger,
red pigment, and
water.
A divot is carved into a fresh piece of ginger, to which red pigment is added. In other ceremonies around the world, other dyes, paint, or even animal blood may be used.
The lions will be seated on the ground with their eyes closed as a light drumroll is played. Each guest of honour is given a calligraphy brush, dips it into the red ginger dye, and proceeds to dot or brush across:
eyes, for sight,
ears, to hear,
nose, for a sharp sense of smell,
mouth, to bring wisdom, and
mirror, to reflect and repel evil.
After those quick dots and lines, the guests of honour then paint one single, uninterrupted line across the lion’s entire body, from horn to tail, symbolizing completeness. This is the final stroke that gives the lion body the energy to ward off evil and bring blessings.
At this time, red ribbons and flags with gold accents are tied around the lions’ horns, and peacock feathers are embedded into the head as well. These symbolize that the lion has been tamed and awakened and can be used to perform blessings.
Our school also attaches small cuttings from a douglas fir or hemlock tree. The cuttings symbolize the binding of the lion to the Earth, and to recognize that our school is based on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.
Each club may have a slightly different variation of performing this ceremony, but the idea of awakening the lion remains the same.
After the eye dotting is complete, the stage will be cleared for the lions to perform a special waking-up routine before launching themselves into the main performance.
Eye-dotting ceremonies bridge tradition and modernity
Eye dotting is an essential tradition in lion dance that has been performed for centuries and is more than just a photo-op for VIPs. Chau Luen Athletics is proud to pass on these traditions as a nod to our heritage, teaching the next generation of lion dancers and martial arts practitioners.
We hope to see you at one of our performances and show you the beauty of these time-honoured cultural customs in person!
Lion dance eye-dotting FAQ
What is the meaning of the eye-dotting ceremony?
Eye-dotting in lion dance is an important ritual that is conducted before a new lion is able to perform. This ceremony symbolizes the awakening of the lion and giving it the power to drive away evil spirits and bring blessings to everyone in attendance.
Who performs the eye-dotting ceremony?
Eye-dotting ceremonies are led by a senior member of a lion dance team (often the Sifu). They will guide participants (often VIP guests) in dotting the body parts of the lion.
What happens after a lion’s eyes are dotted?
Once the eye-dotting ceremony is complete, the lion is considered “awakened” and “tamed”, meaning it is ready to perform. From here, the dancers will usually perform a full lion dance, including “plucking the greens” (showering lettuce), unfurling auspicious scrolls, and performing acrobatic stunts.