Located on the southern edge of the Sichuan Basin, Changning, Sichuan, has historically served as a vital link between the three southwestern provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou due to its position at their junction. From November 24 to 30, 2017, the 2017 China · Changning Shunan Bamboo Sea National Hot Air Balloon Championship will be hosted in Changning, making it the region’s first national hot air balloon competition. The China Aviation Flight Camp will also establish a base in Changning, introducing residents to the sports of hot air ballooning and low-altitude flight tourism.
The National Hot Air Balloon Championship is the largest, most competitive, and most participated hot air balloon event in China, and one of the most attractive and influential competitions in the domestic hot air balloon community. Themed “Soaring over the Sea of Bamboo, Exploring Changning,” this championship will feature 50 top-tier hot air balloon teams from across the country competing over six days. The event includes various competitive disciplines such as PDG Free Style Target, JDG Assigned Target, HW Wandering Waltz, HNH Greyhound Rabbit Chase, ELB Elbow Flight, FIN Fly to Main Venue, FON Aerial Free Target, MND Longest Distance, and MIN Shortest Distance. A visual feast of sports will unfold in the skies above Changning.
The 2017 China · Changning Shunan Bamboo Sea National Hot Air Balloon Championship will not only showcase high-difficulty, professional competitions but will also achieve the feat of “Soaring over the Highest Bamboo Forest, Overlooking the Shunan Bamboo Sea.” During the competition, a variety of supplementary events — including spectacular fire-spitting parades, illuminated balloon performances, hot air balloon weddings, tethered rides, and special performances — will add vibrancy to the event, allowing the public to experience the unique charm of the bamboo sea through low-altitude hot air balloon flights.
Event Venue: Changning, the Hometown of Bamboo in China
Changning earned its name because it lies “the farthest in southern Sichuan, where the region remains peaceful and secure amid turmoil, with ethnic groups living in harmony and enduring peace.” The area boasts beautiful mountains and clear waters, with outstanding natural scenery and uniquely rich tourism resources. Changning County features a mid-subtropical humid monsoon climate, characterized by distinct seasons, mild weather, abundant rainfall, long frost-free periods, and synchronized water and temperature conditions. With frequent cloud cover and less sunshine in autumn and winter, high humidity, and low wind speeds, the climate is highly favorable, with efficient utilization of accumulated temperature. Its pristine ecological environment has earned Changning its esteemed reputation.
Changning is rich in tourism resources, home to attractions that hold titles such as: National Key Scenic Spot, National AAAA Tourist Attraction, One of China’s Top Forty Tourist Destinations, One of China’s Top Ten Most Beautiful Forests, China Biosphere Nature Reserve, Certified by the World “Green Globe 21,” Most Beautiful Scenic Spot in Sichuan (Panda Award), and China’s No.1 Brand for Green Low-Carbon Tourism Development — the Shunan Bamboo Sea; the National AAAA-level Tourist Attraction Guh River Qidongou; the National AAA-level Tourist Attraction Meidong Bamboo Stone Forest — the world’s oldest karst landform, the world’s most unique bamboo and stone forest wonder, and a candidate site for the UNESCO World Heritage “South China Karst”; the National AA-level Tourist Attraction Fulaishan Scenic Area, recognized as a National Agricultural Tourism Demonstration Site and one of Sichuan Province’s Best Rural Tourism Routes; the National AA-level Tourist Attraction Meibai Bilang Water Town; the National AA-level Tourist Attraction Sanyuan Bitter Bamboo Temple; as well as other distinctive scenic spots and attractions such as Shuanghe Grape Well, Shunan Bamboo Sea Prologue Scenic Area, Lanshui Valley, Lanhua Valley, and Peach Blossom Valley.
Shunan Bamboo Sea: China’s Aviation Camp Opens a New Chapter of “Sports + Tourism” in Changning
Located in the central-southern part of Changning County, Sichuan, the Shunan Bamboo Sea spans an area of 120 square kilometers. It is currently a National Scenic Spot, one of the first batch of National AAAA-level Tourist Attractions in China, and has been honored as one of China’s Top Forty Tourist Destinations, a China Biosphere Reserve, a certified site by the World “Green Globe 21,” and one of “China’s Top Ten Most Beautiful Forests.”
In recent years, while vigorously developing its distinctive green bamboo sea tourism, Changning County has also explored the integration of tourism with the sports industry. This marks the first time the National Hot Air Balloon Championship has come to Changning, Sichuan. Leveraging the unique visual appeal of hot air balloons and the highlights of the competition itself, the county will focus on advancing the development of “China’s Premier Low-Altitude Tourism Sanctuary.” Capitalizing on its exceptional geographical advantages, with over 60,000 acres of bamboo sea as the centerpiece and the dual views of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the Sichuan Basin as a selling point, the area will vigorously develop aviation flight camps and low-altitude tourism projects. The goal is to establish Changning as a renowned low-altitude tourism destination in Sichuan Province, and to develop the China Aviation Flight Camp into a premium tourism product based in Changning, radiating across Sichuan and the broader southwestern low-altitude tourism market.
It is reported that this event is jointly organized by the Chinese Aeronautical Sports Association, the Yibin Municipal Education and Sports Bureau, the CPC Changning County Committee, the People’s Government of Changning County, and the Shunan Bamboo Sea Scenic Area Administration. It is co-hosted by the Yibin Shunan Bamboo Sea Tourism Development Co., Ltd., the Publicity Department of the CPC Changning County Committee, the Changning County Education, Sports, Culture and Radio & Television Bureau, and the Changning County Tourism Bureau, with exclusive operation by Shizhi Sports.