The Eye-Dotting Ceremony, Explained

Eye-dotting, dian jing in Mandarin, is the ritual that brings a lion to life. Before its eyes are dotted, the lion is considered just a beautiful object. After, it is awake: it can see, hear and chase away misfortune. That is why the ceremony opens so many grand openings in Singapore, a business awakening its own fortune on day one.

What actually happens

The guest of honour, usually the business owner, CEO or an honoured elder, dips a brush in red cinnabar. The performers present the sleeping lion with its head bowed. The VIP dots the mirror on the lion's forehead first, deflecting evil, then the eyes, sight, the ears, alertness, the tongue, speech and taste, and finally the horn, courage. With each dot the drums build, and when the ritual completes, the lion blinks awake, shakes itself, and bows three times to the person who woke it.

Who should do the dotting

The honour goes to the most senior or most significant person present. For company openings that is typically the founder or CEO, sometimes an investor or a VIP guest. Couples do it together at weddings. We brief your VIP for two minutes beforehand, no one needs to memorise anything, the lion and drums carry the moment.

Booking it

Eye-dotting is included in our opening ceremony packages from SGD 988. It adds around five minutes to the show and, in our experience, produces the single most photographed moment of any opening.

The Order of the Dots and What Each Means

The sequence is fixed and every dot has a job. The mirror on the forehead goes first, it reflects evil away before the lion even opens its eyes. The eyes come second, granting sight, dotted left then right. The ears follow, so the lion hears both danger and celebration. The nose gives breath and instinct in some traditions, included on request. The tongue grants taste and speech, the lion can now 'eat' the greens. The horn finishes the rite, courage, the willingness to face what the year brings. From first dot to the lion's awakening takes about five minutes, and the drums narrate every step.

Etiquette for the Person Dotting

Hold the brush like a pen, dot gently, the lion head is hand-made and the performer inside can feel heavy strokes. Red cinnabar stains, we provide an apron on request for VIPs in light suits. Speak if you wish, many bosses quietly say the company's wish for the year at the horn, the tradition welcomes it. And when the lion wakes and bows to you three times, bow back once, you have just become part of its story. We brief every VIP for two minutes beforehand, nobody has ever gotten it wrong.

Getting the Photograph

Position your photographer at 45 degrees to the lion's front left, that angle catches the VIP's face, the brush and the lion's eye in one frame. The money shot comes twice: the first dot on the mirror, and the awakening blink right after the final dot, tell your photographer to hold the shutter through both. If you booked our opening package, our coordinator will cue your photographer before each moment, we know exactly when the lion will move.

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