2
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 197-
PRINCE CHARLES TO BRING DRAGON TO LIFE
*****
EIGHTY PAINSTAKING WORKING HOURS AND CRAFTSMANSHIP PASSED ON THROUGH GENERATIONS HAVE GONE INTO THE CREATION OF A SPECTACULAR 145-FOOT-LONG DRAGON FOR THE VISIT OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES TO YUEN LONG NEXT MONDAY (MARCH 5).
THE DRAGON -- IT IS SILVER, THE TRADITIONAL MARK OF THE NOBILITY IS THE MASTERPIECE OF A LOCAL FLOR IST MR. LEUNG LAM WHO REGARDS IT AS THE FINEST HE HAS MADE SINCE HIS FIRST EFFORT IN CHINA MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO.
+CERTAINLY, IT IS BY FAR THE LONGEST DRAGON I HAVE EVER MADE AND THE EQUAL OF ANY SEEN BEFORE IN HONG KONG,+ A PROUD MR. LEUNG SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
MR. LEUNG, NOTED FOR HIS SKILLS IN THE ART OF DRAGON-MAKING, WAS RECRUITED BY THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICE FOR HIS LATEST TASK WHEN PLANS FOR THE ROYAL VISIT WERE FINALISED A FEW WEEKS AGO.
A DISTRICT OFFICE SPOKESMAN SAID MR. LEUNG WAS A LOGICAL CHOICE SINCE HE HAD MADE A DRAGON FOR A PREVIOUS ROYAL VISIT TO YUEN LONG, THAT OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS MARGARET IN 1966.
PRINCE CHARLES WILL BRING THE DRAGON TO LIFE BY DOTTING ITS EYES AT THE YUEN LONG STADIUM ON MONDAY AFTERNOON, THUS STARTING A COLOURFUL YOUTH DISPLAY THAT WILL INVOLVE ALMOST 1,000 STUDENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER HONG KONG.
MR. LEUNG WAS ON HAND AT THE STADIUM YESTERDAY (SUNDAY) TO SEE THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, AND THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. MICHAEL CARTLAND, GIVE THE DRAGON ITS FIRST FLUSH OF LIFE DUR ING A CENTURIES-OLD TAOIST BLESSING CEREMONY TO PREPARE THE DRAGON FOR THE EYE-DOTTING BY PRINCE CHARLES.
ON THE BIG DAY ITSELF, THE DRAGON WILL BE PROPELLED BY 160 SUPER-FIT YOUNG MEN FROM WANG CHAU VILLAGE WHO WILL ACCOMPANY THE DRAGON THROUGH ITS RITUALS OF ROLLING ON ITS BACK+, +GOING OVER THE BRIDGE+ AND FLUTTERING LIKE TWO BUTTERFLIES+.
MR. LEUNG WAS IN CHARGE OF FIVE SKILLED WORKMEN WHO WORKED NON-STOP TO GET THE DRAGON READY ON TIME. THE CREATURE IS DIVIDED INTO 25 SECTIONS, INCLUDING THE 1.5-METRE HEAD.
SAYS MR. LEUNG: +THE HEAD WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART BECAUSE IT MUST BE JUST RIGHT.+