On July 25, the New York Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival organizers held an “eye-painting” ceremony in Times Square, to promote the festival, held in Queens from August 10 to 11. The ceremony is a traditional warmup for the festival, but this was the first time it was held in Times Square. New York City Comptroller John Liu and Anita Chan, director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York, used red paint to color the pupils of dragon’s eyes. Liu said the dragon boat festival is a great cultural tradition, while Times Square represents cultural diversity, so the combination of the two is symbolic. The New York Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival is one of the biggest summer water sports held in New York. This year 2,500 participants in 180 teams from the U.S. and Canada, including teams from many U.S. companies and governmental organizations, participated. Those attending experienced Chinese-style shows, calligraphy, painting, papercutting and cuisine.