Hualien Soaring Season Takes Flight from the 9th to Admire the Beauty of the Huatung Valley & Experience Local Culture

▲ This year’s Hualien Soaring Season welcomes everyone at the Fenglin Environmental Technology Park. (Photo / Courtesy of Eye on Hualien website)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The Hualien Soaring Season officially kicks off on August 9th. The opening event features 12 light aircraft drawing lines across the sky from north to south, along with 10 hot air balloons ready for takeoff — including three character-shaped balloons in the forms of a piglet, frog, and kiwi bird performing free flights. The Hualien County Government Tourism Department stated that this is the second year of the Hualien Soaring Season, which has moved to the Fenglin Environmental Technology Park this year. With 20,000 parking spaces and 18 venues such as an Agricultural Museum, Guangfu Specialty Pavilion, and Fenglin Culture Pavilion, visitors can enjoy a vibrant and diverse summer extravaganza.

▲ Colorful hot air balloons rise into the sky, attracting over 2,000 visitors daily. (Photo / Courtesy of the Hualien Soaring Season official website)

Since its soft opening on July 19th, the Hualien Soaring Season has welcomed an average of over 2,000 visitors per day, with weekends drawing more than 8,000. However, hot air balloon rides depend on weather conditions, as flights are affected by wind and temperature. Actual ride availability is subject to on-site announcements. In addition to balloon rides, this year’s event offers a series of fun and engaging experiences. Visitors to the park can not only take hot air balloon rides and enjoy water activities and food, but also explore various local cultural specialties.

▲ The hot air balloon launch area spans approximately 4 hectares, and in addition to balloon rides, visitors can also experience light aircraft flights and water activities. (Photo / Courtesy of the Hualien Soaring Season official website)

The environmental technology park where the event is held is located within the Fenglin Comprehensive Development Zone, covering an area of about 22 hectares. The park is approximately 42 km from the airport and 39 km from Hualien Railway Station, with a driving distance of about 50 to 60 minutes. The park is accessible via Provincial Highway 9, connecting to Hualien and Yilan to the north and Taitung to the south, offering very convenient external transportation.

The hot air balloon launch site covers an area of about 4 hectares. Nearby facilities include water play areas, the top of the embankment road serving as a launch and landing zone for light aircraft, a bike path, and a jogging track. The detention basin is used for water experience activities such as boating and canoeing.

Hualien Soaring Season
Dates: August 9 – August 31. Hot air balloon rides are available twice daily: from 5:30 AM to 8:00 AM and from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
Location: No. 1 Zhongke Road, Changqiao Village, Fenglin Township, Hualien County
Fees: Park entry is NT$200, or NT$100 for residents of Hualien. The cost to experience the thrill of soaring through the sky is NT$500, or just NT$200 for Hualien residents.
Other Info: The water park is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with a one-hour break for cleaning from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. Swimsuits or swim trunks are required when entering the splash pool.

For more information about the Hualien Soaring Season, please visit the official event website:http://hl-balloon.970px.com/