2017 China Hot Air Balloon Club League "Lanzhou Bank Cup" Opens Its Second Consecutive Anning Station

A Bird’s-Eye View of Lanzhou, Offering a Fresh Perspective on Anning

—2017 China Hot Air Balloon Club League "Lanzhou Bank Cup" Lanzhou·Anning Station Begins

On July 28, the 2017 China Hot Air Balloon Club League "Lanzhou Bank Cup" Lanzhou·Anning Station officially kicked off under the theme of "Soaring Over the Yellow River · Enjoying Anning." This marks the first time the event has been held in Lanzhou, Gansu, and also the first time it has taken place in an urban area.

Photography by Teng Ke

Attending the opening ceremony were Ren Hongguo, Party Committee Secretary of the Aviation Radio Model Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China; Song Jupu, former Major General of the General Staff Department and Chief Advisor of Shizhi Sports; Wu Gongyu, Director of the Hot Air Balloon Department at the Aviation Radio Model Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China; Ma Caiyun, Vice Mayor of the Lanzhou Municipal People's Government; Dan Hanrong, Deputy Secretary-General of the Lanzhou Municipal People's Government; Long Fuguo, Director of the Lanzhou Municipal Sports Bureau; Tao Minggui, Director of the Lanzhou Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau; Wang Fang, Secretary of the CPC Anning District Committee of Lanzhou; Li Shixiang, Director of the Standing Committee of the Anning District People's Congress; Luo Zemin, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Anning District Committee and District Chief of Lanzhou; Xue Lei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Anning District Committee of Lanzhou; Zhang Jibin, Standing Committee Member of the CPC Anning District Committee and Executive Deputy District Chief of Lanzhou; Zhang Junliang, President of Lanzhou Bank; and Ling Yu, Director and Vice President of Shizhi Sports.

Ren Hongguo, Party Committee Secretary of the Aviation Radio Model Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China

At the opening ceremony, Wang Fang, Secretary of the CPC Anning District Committee of Lanzhou, on behalf of the Anning District Party Committee, District People's Congress, District Government, District Political Consultative Conference, and the event organizing committee, extended a warm welcome to the attending leaders, guests, athletes, and judges. Luo Zemin, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Anning District Committee and District Chief of Lanzhou, stated that as a branded event, this is the first time the hot air balloon league has been held in the northwest region and in a provincial capital city, marking a significant milestone in the development of Anning’s cultural, sports, and tourism industries, and will greatly promote the visibility of both Anning and Lanzhou. The ceremony concluded with oath-taking by representatives of pilots and judges, and the official start of the competition was announced by Ren Hongguo, Party Committee Secretary of the Aviation Radio Model Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China.

Wang Fang, Secretary of the CPC Anning District Committee of Lanzhou

Luo Zemin, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Anning District Committee and District Chief of Lanzhou

Zhang Junliang, President of Lanzhou Bank

In addition to a spectacular artistic performance, the 2017 China Hot Air Balloon Club League "Lanzhou Bank Cup" Lanzhou·Anning Station and the inaugural Northwest Hot Air Balloon “Sky Wedding” were romantically held. Six couples exchanged vows in an aerial city, committing to love and stepping into marriage, adding special meaning to the league.

Photography by Teng Ke

Photography by Teng Ke

That evening, the highly anticipated balloon lighting ceremony brought the opening ceremony to a climax. Hot air balloons carrying the dreams of flight illuminated the entire city centered around the Anning Central Business District. Against the night sky, burners shot dazzling flames into the balloon envelopes, which flickered as they swayed to cheerful music, as if dancing gracefully. Tens of thousands of spectators felt as though they had entered a dreamlike world, immersed in a fairytale-like atmosphere.

Photography by Ye Rongchang

Photography by Ye Rongchang

Photography by Ye Rongchang

The China Hot Air Balloon Club League "Lanzhou Bank Cup" Lanzhou·Anning Station ran from July 28 to July 31. The event strictly followed the "FAI Hot Air Balloon Competition Rules," and is classified as a Category B event by the Chinese Aeronautical Association, with competition results contributing to the 2017 pilot ranking points. Standard hot air balloon competition events included target dropping, free-floating targets, hare and hounds, flying to the main venue, precision flying, and aerial treasure hunts. Among these, the hare and hounds event was particularly thrilling—akin to a game of hide-and-seek—where pilots followed the flight path of a guide balloon, and upon its landing, a target was set nearby for pilots to drop markers toward.

Photography by Teng Ke

Photography by Teng Ke

After witnessing the intense and rare competition, the romantic beauty of hot air balloons also took center stage. In addition to high-difficulty competitive events, the league achieved the feat of flying over the Yellow River. The Yellow River flows through Anning District, where small islands in the river are adorned with swaying reeds and flocks of migratory birds. The Zhongshan Bridge, known as the “First Bridge Over the Yellow River Under Heaven” and celebrating its 105th anniversary, spans the waves. A series of urban sculptures, represented by the “Mother Yellow River,” dot the green belt parks along the riverbanks. Lanzhou, an ancient yet modern city cradled by its mother river, embodies the grandeur of the north and the elegance of the south. Floating above the clouds in a hot air balloon to take in the majestic sweep of the Yellow River has become a shared dream for many.

Photography by Zhang Yingxun

Photography by Zhang Yingxun

On the afternoon of July 29, dozens of sanitation workers from Anning District—referred to as the “city beauticians”—along with individuals who excelled in creating a national civilized city at the street level, participated in the hot air balloon tethering activity of the 2017 China Hot Air Balloon Club League "Lanzhou Bank Cup" Lanzhou·Anning Station. This allowed these hardworking grassroots laborers, who diligently maintain their city, to view the beautiful urban landscape they care for from the skies. The event also aimed to spread positive energy throughout society and foster a healthy, uplifting, warm, and harmonious social atmosphere.

Photography by Feng Ganyong

Photography by Feng Ganyong

Photography by Feng Ganyong

As China’s most professional hot air balloon touring competition, the China Hot Air Balloon Club League truly delivers on the principle of “building products through competitions, promoting products through competitions, and achieving long-term benefits for host locations through product operations,” allowing citizens to truly experience the joy that hot air ballooning brings to participants. This edition of the league not only showcased the tourism resources of Lanzhou’s Anning District to the nation but also enriched the cultural and recreational lives of local residents. By making full use of the airspace resources of Lanzhou·Anning, it promoted multi-stakeholder “sports + tourism” development, helping Anning stand out amid homogenized attractions and limited tourism offerings. It achieved a perfect blend of traditional strengths and emerging sectors, delivering a feast for culture, tourism, and sports enthusiasts.

Tengke Photography

Tengke Photography

It is reported that this league is jointly organized by the Aero Sports Federation of China, the Lanzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the Lanzhou Municipal Bureau of Sports, and the People’s Government of Anning District, Lanzhou. It is hosted by the Anning District Bureau of Culture and Sports and the Anning Urban Construction Investment Co., Ltd. of Lanzhou, with exclusive operation by Shizhi Sports. Lanzhou Bank, Zheshang Bank Lanzhou Branch, China Overseas Land & Investment, Poly Real Estate, Xingfu Jiayuan, CRRC Group, Wanhua Industry, and Yanghe Distillery have provided strong support for the event.