2018 China · Changning Shunan Bamboo Sea Hot Air Balloon “Liya Upstream City”
Sky Flying Month Event Concludes Successfully
On December 6, the 2018 China · Changning Shunan Bamboo Sea Hot Air Balloon “Liya Upstream City” Sky Flying Month Event concluded in Changning County, Sichuan Province. It is understood that this event was a new attempt by the Changning County Government in collaboration with Shizhi Sports in the field of low-altitude tourism. Lasting two weeks, the event gathered a total of 30 hot air balloons in Changning, which beautifully bloomed in the skies above the Shunan Bamboo Sea.
On the evening of the opening ceremony on November 23, the event site was filled with a vibrant atmosphere. The classic balloon illumination ceremony added a bright and lively touch to Changning, while the sweet and romantic hot air balloon wedding in the sky left the entire audience amazed and thrilled. A dazzling array of colorful hot air balloons put on a spectacular light show in Changning.
Since the opening on the evening of November 23, a series of activities including free flight, hot air balloon tethered rides, cool paragliding performances, and model aircraft displays were carried out in an orderly fashion over multiple consecutive days, creating an incredibly impressive and thrilling scene. On November 25, the hot air balloon family outdoor experience series held at the China Aviation Flight Camp in the Shunan Bamboo Sea Scenic Area attracted widespread participation from citizens and tourists, offering a fresh perspective and enabling deep interaction with the Shunan Bamboo Sea in Changning.
It is reported that during the event, the China Aviation Flight Camp within the Shunan Bamboo Sea Scenic Area in Changning hosted multiple parent-child educational activities themed around aviation elements, primarily featuring hot air balloons with supporting aircraft, further enriching and optimizing the experience for citizens and visitors. Through participating in activities such as hot air balloon science lectures, tethered balloon rides, model balloon making, aerial mailboxes, and paper airplane competitions, children not only gained some understanding of hot air balloon culture and aviation knowledge but also enjoyed an unforgettable low-altitude hot air balloon journey while admiring the beautiful scenery of the Shunan Bamboo Sea, leaving a precious memory in their childhood. At the same time, this hot air balloon low-altitude tourism parent-child education activity successfully integrated “sports, tourism, parent-child education, and low-altitude training,” achieving a deep combination of Changning’s urban brand image and visitor experience, and becoming a “heritable and extendable” sports tourism product for Changning.
Additionally, as the grand finale of the Hot Air Balloon Sky Flying Month, a spectacular hot air balloon torch parade was held at 7:00 PM on December 5, lighting up Changning. Dozens of parade vehicles gathered at the main venue of the opening ceremony, led by police cars, and passed through Yichang Road – Zhuhai Avenue – the overpass next to the high-speed railway station on Zhuhai Avenue, before returning to the main venue. The total torch parade route spanned 5 kilometers. The torch parade is a grand and eye-catching performance, with an imposing convoy forming a marching formation and performing torch displays in sequence. The baskets and burners of the hot air balloons, mounted on a line of open-top trucks, paraded while showcasing a variety of torch performances, with flames being emitted in rhythm with the music either one by one or all at once.
The hosting of this event is of great significance for enriching Changning’s tourism offerings, boosting the creation of a “National All-for-One Tourism Demonstration Zone,” a “Tianfu Characteristic Tourism County,” and a “Shunan Bamboo Sea National 5A-Level Scenic Spot,” and establishing a world-class bamboo ecological cultural tourism destination. Since Changning County thoroughly implemented the concept of “green development,” while enhancing the city’s international visibility and the influence of the Shunan Bamboo Sea Scenic Area, it has focused on building a strong modern tourism economy county. With the creation of a national all-for-one tourism demonstration zone, a Tianfu tourism county, and a national 5A-level scenic spot as key initiatives, the county has fully showcased the beauty of Changning’s nature, ecology, culture, and aviation tourism through hot air balloon low-altitude experiences, strongly promoting the local integrated development of “culture, sports, and tourism.” This Hot Air Balloon Sky Flying Month event also represents a significant step forward on the path of “tourism+” development.
In addition to popularizing aviation knowledge, enhancing visitor experience value, increasing the influence of the Shunan Bamboo Sea Scenic Area, and expanding the Changning city brand, the various activities and courses of the 2018 China · Changning Shunan Bamboo Sea Hot Air Balloon “Liya Upstream City” Sky Flying Month upgraded the “low-altitude tourism” product system by integrating the concept of parent-child education, forming a new model for the development of hot air balloon sports tourism. This innovation in combining “sports + tourism” has generated greater vitality and has become a sports tourism product tailored for families with children. It allows traditional sightseeing scenic areas to not only make full use of their environmental resource advantages but also to radiate into surrounding regions, enriching the leisure and entertainment life of residents and creating a highly distinctive “new sports tourism calling card” for the Changning area.