By MOOK Attractions Network
Taiwan’s grandest balloon parade, the “OPEN Giant Balloon Parade,” will make a dazzling debut on December 15th along Kaohsiung’s Era Boulevard with the theme “OPEN THE WORLD.” It is one of the most playful family-oriented events in Kaohsiung, consistently drawing record-breaking crowds.
Taiwan’s grandest balloon parade, the “OPEN Giant Balloon Parade,” is set to light up Kaohsiung’s Era Boulevard on December 15th (Image courtesy of Dream Mall, same below)
This year, over 23 large-scale cartoon balloons are expected to take part, including Italy’s globally beloved “Bouncing Horse Rody,” world-famous children’s book character “Peter Rabbit,” and the adorable and therapeutic “Positive Energy Penguin.” The event also welcomes new looks for OPEN Xiajiang (OPEN小将), PLEASE Meimei (PLEASE美眉), and HELLO KITTY that are sure to turn heads. Over 1,500 performers are joining this year’s event, with popular singer Lulu (Huang Luziying) serving as the “OPEN Parade Ambassador,” joining forces with OPEN Xiajiang for dynamic sing-and-dance performances.
This year’s “OPEN Giant Balloon Parade” features popular singer Lulu (Huang Luziying) as the “OPEN Parade Ambassador,” performing sing-and-dance numbers with OPEN Xiajiang.
Themed “OPEN THE WORLD,” the parade centers around traveling the globe with love as its core message. The parade groups are named after four themes—Guardianship, Beauty, Care, and Warmth—aiming to promote Kaohsiung in the most heartfelt way and continue creating Taiwan’s largest balloon parade. Additionally, performance troupes from four major international cities—Brazil, Milan, Seoul, and Okinawa—are joining in, showcasing fiery Brazilian samba, stylish Milanese court-style stilt acrobatics, the majestic rhythms of Korean traditional folk drumming, and the powerful beats of Okinawan taiko drums, offering a unique global cultural experience.
As always, this year’s event will feature giant flying cartoon-shaped balloons that are sure to steal the spotlight, with over a thousand performance groups taking part.
For the first time this year, the Army Marching Band and the military-themed inflatable doll troupe are joining the parade. The ultra-cute military-themed inflatable doll team, which wowed audiences during National Day celebrations, will kick off the parade. Following two rounds of enthusiastic applications, six groups were selected from 19 finalists across northern and southern Taiwan. The high school division includes dance crews such as “Bei Yi Lockin,” “Tainan Commercial High School DDS Dance Club,” and “Zhongshan Hot Dance Log 7,” while the mixed-age group features “Move Move Dance Crew - MINI DSDJ,” “Dance Together JUMP Bao,” and “Kids’ Hands, Kids’ Feet.”
The “OPEN Giant Balloon Parade” has invited over 1,500 performance groups this year.
[Info]
This year’s four main parade contingents represent four different kinds of love to be shared collectively, allowing all forms of love to shine at once. The event will include parent-child Christmas costume displays and specially invite children from Taiwan’s new immigrant communities to present important cultural elements in traditional attire, making this a highlight parade for families.
First Contingent – Love of Guardianship: To celebrate the arrival of Christmas at year’s end, thousands are invited to dress up in festive Christmas outfits and take to the streets. Visitors are welcome to register online via the OPEN Xiajiang Facebook fan page. In addition, the Kaohsiung contingent will be led by city officials, representatives from Kaohsiung MRT and iPASS, the Army Marching Band, and 100 Gogoro riders from across Taiwan, showcasing a fashionable, tech-savvy, and green energy vibe along Era Boulevard.
Second Contingent – Love of Beauty: Led by the champion high school dance team “Bei Yi Lockin,” the beauty business of the Uni-President Group will spread youthful energy and convey fashion ideals, inviting the audience to join in the “Love Sharing” dance and the interactive gesture OPEN THE WORLD, spreading love across the globe. The 2018 Asian Youth Cheerleading Championship-winning “Wufu Elementary School” dance squad will also showcase their impressive moves.
Third Contingent – Love of Care: Headlined by Uni-President’s Maxim’s coffee brand, featuring double-star and ocean octopus-shaped balloons for added fun. Longtime participants like the 7-ELEVEN Uni-Lions players, UNI GIRLS, and Black Cat Delivery will join in greater force than ever before, making it a highly anticipated sight. UCC College Cup champions “Fu Ying Institute of Technology Cheer Squad” and a Vespa convoy of 50 riders will also bring strong energy and massive crowd appeal.
Fourth Contingent – Love of Warmth: Featuring a special performance by a Japanese Okinawan taiko drumming troupe to share different musical rhythms and vitality, promising unprecedented joy and emotion. The finale will see the OPEN Family joined by “OPEN Parade Ambassador” Lulu (Huang Luziying) and the Uni-President UGJ Campus Sweethearts, who will deliver a spectacular stage show.
This year, 23 cartoon-shaped balloon groups will take part, with the entire OPEN Family in attendance, plus Snow Bell Bunny Bobo, Snoopy, Malayan Tapir, Shuangshuang Cat, AORI Chicken, Datong Baby, Rody the Bouncing Horse, Rascal the Little Raccoon, Gudetama, HELLO KITTY, Peter Rabbit, Cool Cat, and Kanako’s little animals, aiming to take over Era Boulevard with cuteness. Nighttime stage performances will be headlined by the OPEN Family, offering a variety of dance routines and a large-scale magic show for all ages, ensuring non-stop fun from morning till night.
New 7-11 Transforms into a Fairy Tale Castle – Dreamy 3D Mural is Super Photogenic
》https://www.mook.com.tw/article.php?op=articleinfo&articleid=19521