Taitung Luye Sheng-An Temple Hosts Dragon Boat Festival Noon Water Event and Egg Balancing Competition with 20,000 NTD Prize

(Central News Agency, Lu Tai-cheng, Taitung, June 18) The main Dragon Boat Festival event in Luye Township, Taitung, involving the collection of "noon water" and an egg balancing competition at Sheng-An Temple in Yongan Village, will begin at 10:00 AM on the day of the festival. The first prize for the egg balancing competition is 20,000 New Taiwan Dollars.

Sheng-An Temple will continue its tradition of distributing noon water collected from the natural Yulong Spring and rice dumplings (zongzi) to the public. The egg balancing competition, which was well-received last year, has seen its total prize pool increased from 50,000 NTD to 100,000 NTD this year, aiming to let people experience traditional culture through fun competition.

Lee Shu-ken, the committee chairman of Sheng-An Temple, said in a telephone interview with CNA today that the custom of collecting noon water in Yongan Village has been passed down for many years. It is popularly believed that the noon water collected during the Dragon Boat Festival carries the most vibrant energy, symbolizing good fortune and health. In the past, it was even viewed as an "herb catalyst" to enhance the effectiveness of medication.

He added that although the spring water volume from Yulong Spring is slightly lower than in previous years due to weather conditions, the supply continues from the lower layers, which will not affect the Dragon Boat Festival activity. The egg balancing competition, introduced for the first time last year, received an enthusiastic response, so the temple decided to scale up this year. While the first prize remains at 20,000 NTD, more prizes have been added to increase the chances of winning and attract more participants.