A special Yin-Yang symbol on each boat's prow, stern and paddles helps to ward off evil and gives the boat magic power to banish the wicked Water Ghost. The two rival communities paint their symbols differently, the Ch'i-wu-lan boat having the Yang side uppermost while the Chou-tzu-wei boat has the Yin side uppermost.
船首尾及每隻船槳上特有的太極避邪圖案，賦予龍船神力，以鎮壓水中作祟的「老大公」（水鬼），由於兩莊的對立，因此太極圖形也成對比，淇武蘭的「陽」在上、洲仔尾的「陰」在上。