By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team
The 2016 Taiwan International Hot Air Balloon Festival will be held from July 1 to August 7 at Luye Gaotai in Taitung. Organizers have unveiled the first four animal-shaped hot air balloons to appear in the first week: Lucky Cat, Aquarium, Panda, and Kiwi Bird. They also launched an online event on their official Facebook page, inviting the public to help name them in Chinese.
Panda-shaped hot air balloon. (Image source / Taiwan Hot Air Balloon Festival)
Lucky Cat-shaped hot air balloon. (Image source / Taiwan Hot Air Balloon Festival)
This year’s Taiwan International Hot Air Balloon Festival not only features competitive events—with a total of 30 balloons competing among participants from 12 countries—but also invites 15 themed balloons from around the world to join the fun. These include the Aquarium from the U.S., the Kiwi Bird from New Zealand, Noah’s Ark, the Fox Balloon from Thailand, the Rooster Balloon from the Netherlands, the Octopus Balloon and Carp Balloon from Japan, aiming to create an “Animal Carnival” above Luye Gaotai.
Kiwi Bird-shaped hot air balloon and Aquarium-shaped hot air balloon. (Image source / Taiwan Hot Air Balloon Festival)
The first week’s featured balloon designs are the Lucky Cat (July 1–July 14), Aquarium (July 1–July 14), Panda (July 1–July 9), and Kiwi Bird (July 1–July 13). An online Chinese naming campaign has been launched on the official Facebook fan page, encouraging everyone to get creative and come up with catchy Chinese names for these themed balloons. The activity runs from now until noon on June 16, and winners will receive small gifts from the Taiwan International Hot Air Balloon Festival.