I’ve always dreamed of riding a hot air balloon. I used to know that Cappadocia in Turkey was an amazing place for it, but I never had enough vacation time for a long trip. I knew Taiwan was another option closer to home, but restrictions on independent travel visas made it difficult... Recently, while browsing online, I suddenly came across an article about hot air balloons in Tengchong. I was so excited and did some more research. Sharing it here in case it helps others who, like me, dream of a hot air balloon ride~~

Tengchong

Within TengchongGaoligong Mountainis the jewel of the Hengduan Mountains, formed from the intense collision between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. Some say that standing atop Gaoligong Mountain, you have one foot on each of two continents — take a step east and you’re on the Asian continent, take a step west and you’re on the Indian continent. Tengchong boasts 99 towering volcanoes and 88 steaming hot springs. It’s the only region on the Chinese mainland where volcanoes and geothermal activity coexist on such a grand and magical scale, rare even globally. The wonders of nature have not only created the spectacular volcanic and geothermal clusters here, but also formed a series of geological marvels such as the “Divine Pillar Valley” volcanic wonder, the “Beihai Wetland” volcanic barrier lake, China’s only urban waterfall — the Dieshuihe Waterfall, and subterranean hot springs like the Bapai Giant Spring and Heiyu River.



Tengchong Volcano Park


“What a magnificent Tengyue Prefecture, nine of ten mountains stand bald.” Thevolcanoesof Tengchong are best appreciated by climbingthe Little Kongshan crater in the Volcano National Park. The mountain is covered with lush trees, and its summit forms a truncated cone shape. Descending 47 meters to the bottom of the crater, you’ll find volcanic slag, pumice, and volcanic bombs everywhere. Another highlight of Tengchong Volcano Park is the spectacular columnar jointing, especially the formations in the Heiyu River Gorge — true masterpieces of nature’s artistry. Hot air balloon rides offer a breathtaking aerial view of the park's volcanic landscape.


Hot Air Balloon Rides


At Tengchong Volcano Park, hot air balloons ascend to a height of 200 meters. Each balloon’s basket can accommodate six passengers plus one operator. The balloons are lifted by heating the air inside the envelope with liquefied petroleum gas, using the buoyancy of the hot air to rise. Since the balloons at the park have no powered control systems, thick ropes are hung from the baskets to prevent them from drifting away. Ground staff hold onto these ropes to keep the balloons steady, and each descent is controlled by pulling the ropes from the ground.
Each balloon ride lasts about 20 minutes. When the balloon reaches 200 meters, the rope reaches its full length and the balloon hovers in place. From this height, you can gaze out over the majestic volcanic cluster and see three major volcanoes lined up on the ground: Big Kongshan, Little Kongshan, and Black Kongshan.


Riding a hot air balloon to admire the volcanic landscape must be an incredible experience~ If any fellow travelers have more details to share, feel free to add them~~