MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1979
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THE DRAGON'S SKELETON IS MADE OF BAMBOO WHILE THE BODY IS LAYERED WITH GAUZE AND SILVER-COLOURED SCALES. BESIDES THE DRAGON, MR. LEUNG AND HIS DRAGON-MAKING TEAM ALSO PRODUCED THE EMBLEMS OF THE PEARL, MOON AND SUN WHICH MUST ACCOMPANY THE DRAGON ON ITS DANCE.
PRINCE CHARLES WILL BE OFFICIATING AT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CHINESE TRADITIONS WHEN HE DOTS THE EYES NEXT MONDAY.
THE EYE-DOTTING CEREMONY GOES BACK 1,400 YEARS TO THE REIGN OF EMPEROR LIANG WU TI (AD 502-549) WHO ORDERED ONE OF HIS MASTER PAINTERS, CHEUNG TSANG YAU, TO PAINT FOUR DRAGONS ON THE WALLS OF A TEMPLE IN NANKING.
LEGEND HAS IT THAT WHEN CHEUNG FINISHED THE PAINTINGS, HE LEFT ALL THE EYES BLANK, EXPLAINING THAT IF THE EYES WERE DOTTED, THE DRAGONS WOULD COME TO LIFE.+ WHEN A DISBELIEVER CHALLENGED THE PAINTER'S PROPHECY BY DOTTING THE EYES OF TWO OF THE DRAGONS, THUNDER AND LIGHTNING FILLED THE AIR, AND THE DRAGONS INDEED FLEW AWAY.
WET SUMMER PREDICTED
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THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY PREDICTED TODAY (MONDAY) THAT THE COMING SUMMER WILL BE VERY WET.
THE MAY TO OCTOBER RAINFALL THIS YEAR (1979) IS FORECAST TO LIE BETWEEN 2,100 AND 2,500 MILLIMETRES COMPARED WITH THE 30-YEAR AVERAGE OF 1,924 MILLIMETRES.
THE RAINFALL FOR THE YEAR 1979 AS A WHOLE IS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE RANGE 2,500-2,900 MILLIMETRES COMPARED WITH THE 30-YEAR AVERAGE OF 2.246 MILLIMETRES. IF NECESSARY THIS PRELIMINARY FORECAST WILL BE UPDATED IN MAY WHEN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
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