On October 14, 2018, the opening ceremony of the "China Hot Air Balloon Performance Competition and Flight Experience Event" was grandly held, opening up a brand-new sky perspective for tourism in Xingyi, marking the beginning of a new era of all-dimensional spatial tourism in the city, and composing a magnificent overture to the "2018 International Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports Congress."
As the venue and host city of the International Mountain Tourism Congress, Xingyi attracts the attention of outdoor tourism enthusiasts from around the world every year. This year’s congress, themed “・High-Quality Life,” continues to promote Xingyi’s brand as a “Mountain Tourism Destination and Outdoor Sports Paradise.” To support the comprehensive launch of the "2018 International Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports Congress," and through the joint efforts of the Guizhou Provincial Sports Bureau, the People's Government of Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, and 20 hot air balloons, the platform of the "China Hot Air Balloon Performance Competition and Flight Experience Event" was created. It opens up a brand-new sky dimension for mountain and outdoor tourism in Xingyi.
The "China Hot Air Balloon Performance Competition and Flight Experience Event" was co-hosted by the Guizhou Provincial Sports Bureau and the People's Government of Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, and jointly organized by the Guizhou Mountain and Outdoor Sports Management Authority, the Qianxinan Prefecture Sports Bureau, and the People's Government of Xingyi City. It was fully operated and executed by Guizhou Fenglin Shizhi Sports Industry Co., Ltd. and Xingyi Wanfenglin Qianlong Outdoor Sports Management Co., Ltd., striving to become a new calling card for outdoor tourism in Xingyi.
The event held its grand opening ceremony on the evening of the 14th at Jushan Square in Xingyi City. The opening ceremony was presided over by city officials, who introduced the highlights of the event and the relevant schedule to the many leaders, guests, media friends, and general public and tourists present. Relevant leaders took the stage to speak, giving high praise to the extraordinary significance brought by the event and offering their blessings and expectations. Media outlets such as 电视台 and Mountain Wilderness Magazine, among others, were present at the opening ceremony to provide comprehensive coverage; the general public and numerous outdoor and low-altitude tourism enthusiasts from around the world witnessed the grand occasion together.
Representative teams from over 20 hot air balloon clubs across the country participated in the event and performed the classic “balloon illumination ceremony” at the opening ceremony, delivering a double impact of visual and auditory excitement to the audience and visitors. As the burners shot out dazzling flames toward the balloon envelopes, the hot air balloons instantly transformed into “glowing musical notes,” spinning under the pilots’ control and dancing the “waltz” to beautiful music, sharing a carnival of hot air balloons with the tourists.
The spectacular flame parade pushed the entire opening ceremony to its climax. On the bustling main roads of Xingyi District, trucks loaded with hot air balloons and baskets lined up in a long procession, with burners performing synchronized flame parades to the beat of the music. Cross-spraying, bidirectional spraying, and swinging spray techniques illuminated Xingyi’s night sky, with the blazing and dazzling flames pushing the joyful atmosphere of the city to a boiling point, draping the mountain city’s night sky with a soft veil woven from light and sound, making this mountain city sparkle like the stars.
The event will continue until the 18th. During this period, citizens and tourists will enjoy hot air balloon flight performances and nighttime flame shows, transforming Xingyi into a city of the sky and a city of stars. The audience will also have the opportunity to participate in tethered hot air balloon experiences and fly freely in the sky together with the balloons, integrating Xingyi’s unique tourism resources into the sky and offering visitors an extraordinary outdoor tourism experience.
The "2018 China Hot Air Balloon Performance Competition and Flight Experience Event" will redefine traditional outdoor tourism concepts in Xingyi, integrating various dimensional resources such as peak forests, canyons, rivers, and cultural landscapes through a sky perspective. It truly realizes the tourism philosophy of “・High-Quality Life” proposed by the "2018 International Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports Congress," promotes the dissemination of Xingyi’s brand as a “Mountain Tourism Destination and Outdoor Sports Paradise,” and helps this grand outdoor tourism event take flight, achieving greater accomplishments and soaring toward a brighter future.
