Overlooking the lake’s beauty from the blue sky—Hot air balloons officially take off at Chengcing Lake

Reported by Reporter You T-Ru / Compiled report




▲ Hot air balloon launch. (Photo / Provided by Kaohsiung City Tourism Bureau)

The Kaohsiung Urban Hot Air Balloon Carnival officially launched yesterday (6th) morning. This marks Taiwan’s first-ever hot air balloon event by the lakeside. Once airborne, the beautiful scenery of Chengcing Lake unfolds beneath, with stunning reflections on the water. The inaugural Kaohsiung Hot Air Balloon Carnival invited hot air balloons and professional pilots from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Slovenia to take the public up in the air. Hot air balloon flights will take place from 6:30 am to 8:30 am and 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, with each session lasting five minutes per person at a cost of NT$500. This event also introduces the U.S.-style hot air balloon WALK IN exploration tour for the first time, allowing visitors to step inside the balloon and explore its internal structure and the mysteries of flight.


▲ Scene of hot air balloons launching by the lake. (Photo / Provided by Kaohsiung City Tourism Bureau)

The event spans 37 days, with exciting activities every day from 6:30 am to 7:00 pm. The hot air balloon tethered experience is divided into two sessions: morning session from 6:30 am to 8:30 am, and afternoon session from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The hot air balloon Walk-In exploration tour takes place during the morning session from 9:00 am to 11:00 am and the afternoon session from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The water mirage light show is held every Saturday from 7:30 pm to 7:45 pm. The event venue also features a series of exciting activities such as flight performances and displays. These include special-shaped kites operated by professional teams, as well as stunt performances of remote-controlled gliders soaring through the sky. Additionally, there will be an unmanned aerial vehicle exhibition meticulously curated by the Aerospace Science and Technology Research Institute of National Cheng Kung University and the Advanced Power System Research Center.

The Tourism Bureau reminds the public that the hot air balloon tethered experience is subject to weather and wind speed conditions. If the wind speed exceeds level three, the on-site broadcast and announcements will temporarily suspend the launch experience activities. Cai Maolin, manager of the Seventh District Office of the Water Supply Corporation, also emphasized that Chengcing Lake is fully equipped with a sewage interception system. All collected wastewater is transported via dedicated pipelines to the sewage treatment plant for processing. Therefore, the event will not cause any wastewater pollution to the lake. Moreover, the Water Supply Corporation conducts daily water quality testing and publishes the results on its official website.