See mountains and seas from a hot air balloon — A 3-day, 2-night adventure in Taitung

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Family, compiled and reported
 
The Taitung Hot Air Balloon Festival is the biggest tourism event of the summer in Taitung. And aside from the balloons, Taitung’s stunning landscapes are not to be missed. Round up your friends and take a 3-day, 2-night trip to Taitung this summer break...

This year’s Hot Air Balloon Festival kicks off grandly on June 29. Each year, the “Hot Air Balloon tethered flight experience” draws long lines of eager participants. In addition to purchasing tickets on-site, the Taitung Fun Card website also offers an online reservation service for balloon tethered flights. Each session has a limited quota of 80 spots, released in three phases.
 
Starting June 29, there will also be six consecutive nights of Hot Air Balloon Light and Music Concerts every Saturday, offering visitors a unique balloon-themed memory.
 
Address: No. 145, Lane 42, Gaotai Road, Yong’an Village, Luye Township, Taitung County
Dates: June 29 – August 12
Reservation slots:
From noon June 10 to 6 PM June 23, you can book sessions from June 29 to July 13.
From noon June 17 to 6 PM June 30, you can book sessions from July 14 to July 28.
From noon June 24 to 6 PM July 7, you can book sessions from July 29 to August 12.

Luye Shrine is a non-ranked shrine, originally built in Dragon Field Village. It enshrines the Three Gods of Pioneering (Ōkuninushi, Sukunabikona, and Ōnamuchi), as well as Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa. Constructed through the voluntary labor of Japanese immigrants in Luye Village, it was the first shrine in Taiwan completed through a cooperative effort between Taiwanese and Japanese craftsmen during the Japanese colonial period in 1923. The architecture is quite simple, consisting only of the main hall, torii gate, and hand-washing pavilion.
 
Address: No. 308, Guangrong Road, Luye Township, Taitung County

Star Dragon Garden, located at an altitude of 200 meters in Changbin Township, Taitung, offers a breathtaking 180-degree panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding landscape. The park also features seasonal flower fields, which is why it's also known as the Changbin Sky Garden.
 
Address: No. 118-20, Zhangyuan Village, Changbin Township, Taitung County
Hours: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM, closed Mondays and Tuesdays

Little Huangshan is located downstream of the Beinan River, near the Liji Bridge, facing the Liji Badlands across the Beinan River. It consists of the gravel layer of the Beinan Formation at the edge of the Central Mountain Range, part of the Eurasian Plate. After years of rain erosion, it presents towering rock formations with exposed yellow earth and jagged peaks, resembling a smaller version of China’s Huangshan Mountain. Though it lacks the grandeur of the original Huangshan, it still boasts a unique charm, serene and elegant.
 
Address: Beside the Beinan River, north side of Liji Bridge, Mingfeng Village, Beinan Township, Taitung County