Text by MOOK Travel Life Network, Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported
The 37-day “Kaohsiung Take Off—Urban Hot Air Balloon Festival” held at Chengcing Lake in Kaohsiung has entered its final countdown week, ending this Sunday, August 11. To date, the event has drawn over 200,000 visitors and more than 10,000 hot air balloon rides. Those who want to take a ride but haven’t gone yet should seize the last chance.
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Countdown to the Kaohsiung Hot Air Balloon Festival – those who haven’t gone yet should hurry. (Photo provided by Kaohsiung City – Tourism Bureau)
On Father’s Day, August 8, the Kaohsiung Hot Air Balloon event launched a double Father’s Day lucky draw. First draw: Simply visit the event service desk with your dad and an entry ticket stub to enter a raffle, where 88 dads will win a free coffee from Gold Mine Café. Second draw: Dads can exchange their entry ticket stub for a lucky draw voucher. At 5:00 PM, eight lucky dads will be selected to enjoy a free hot air balloon ride over Kaohsiung.
From August 9 to 11, couples can visit the event service desk with their park tickets to exchange for a lucky draw voucher. Each afternoon at 5:00 PM, three sweet couples will be drawn to enjoy a free shared hot air balloon ride, soaring together to celebrate love. Additionally, on August 10 and 11, there will be “Fall in Love with Hot Air Balloons” fun competitions at 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, with small gifts for all participants and a chance for the first-place winners to also receive a free coffee from Gold Mine Café. Couples and families are welcome to sign up on-site.
Residents outside southern Taiwan can also take advantage of the final accommodation offer. By booking the “Hot Air Balloon Festival Joyful Holiday” package at Hsian Hotel International or Kaohsiung Business Travel Hotel, or by presenting a full-spending receipt from the hotel to purchase a VIP ticket, you will receive a guaranteed VIP hot air balloon ride voucher. This includes a morning ride plus an additional 120 seconds of flight time, perfect for planning a relaxing Kaohsiung harbor tour with your loved one during the weekend.
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The Kaohsiung Hot Air Balloon Festival offers raffles in its final days, giving dads and couples the chance to fly for free and enjoy an unforgettable Father’s Day and pre-Qixi holiday. (Photo provided by Kaohsiung City – Tourism Bureau)
Hot air balloons take off daily from 6:30 AM to 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with each ride lasting five minutes and costing NT$500. The first 100 riders each day also receive a bottle of black tea drink – Black Sugar Fin. From 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, there are also Hot Air Balloon Walk-In experiences, thrilling hot air balloon flame shows, and basket photo opportunities. On the hour during these times, there are also hot air balloon launch demonstrations. On Saturdays from 7:00 PM to 7:15 PM, there's a nationwide premier water holographic light show.
To allow more people to participate, the organizers offer free entry to Chengcing Lake before 6:00 AM daily. From 6:00 AM to 12:00 PM on weekdays, entry is half price, and entry tickets can be used to get a NT$50 discount on tethered ride vouchers. There are also 400 on-site tethered ride tickets available each weekday, giving more people the chance to experience lake-viewing from high above at Chengcing Lake. Event website: http://ezmon.tw.
● Read more: Yellow Rubber Duck Visits Kaohsiung – Celebrate Mid-Autumn at Glory Pier
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