The OPEN San Young Family Hits the Streets: Kaohsiung's Giant Balloon Parade Debuts in Adorable Style on the 12th

▲The OPEN San Young Family makes a full appearance at the Kaohsiung Giant Balloon Parade. (Photo / Provided by Kaohsiung City Government, same for all below)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

Asia’s largest balloon parade in Kaohsiung kicks off on the 12th at Dream Mall’s E-DA Square. Featuring over 20 character balloons, first-time appearances by new friends Gudetama and the Little Bear School, as well as Kaohsiung’s newly popular mascot, the event celebrates its 10th anniversary. The nearly one-kilometer-long parade also saw Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu and a giant Hibiscus Mom mascot joining in the fun with the public for a joyful weekend.

Now in its 10th year, the 7-ELEVEN LET’S OPEN！Giant Balloon Parade has attracted over a million viewers to date. This year’s theme, “Start Fresh, Feel It Again,” brought adorable characters back to dominate E-DA Square, drawing approximately 300,000 participants. Mayor Chen Chu appeared alongside the charming Hibiscus Mom giant mascot, handing out small gifts along the route to boost the festive atmosphere and create a highlight of the event.

In addition to the full OPEN San Young Family lineup, this parade also featured HELLO KITTY, SpongeBob SquarePants, Rilakkuma, Gingerbread Man, along with newcomers Gudetama and the Little Bear School. Local Kaohsiung mascots such as Kao Tong Tong, Kaohsiung Bear, Ah Mi Ge, and Hong Dou Mei also made their cute debut, marching alongside a performance troupe of over 1,500 people to showcase their adorable charm.

▲Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu also showed up to enjoy the fun with the crowd.

This year, the OPEN！Family made their first-ever appearance as a marching band. Onlookers eagerly grabbed whistles, pom-poms, and other items to join in creating a symphony of joy. There was also an “OPEN！Open-Air Cinema” screening the live-action animated film “OPEN！OPEN！” as well as a nighttime display of OPEN！Family giant balloons, giving fans everything they could hope for.

Additionally, in conjunction with the OPEN！RUN event scheduled for tomorrow (the 13th), traffic controls will be in place on sections of urban roads including Chenggong 2nd Road, Haibian Road, Zhonghua Road, Zhongshan 3rd Road, Old Ketagalan Boulevard, Hedong Road, and Qixian 2nd Road. Organizers urge road users to take detours, follow police instructions, drive carefully, and advised the public to use public transportation to avoid congestion.
▲The OPEN San Young Family’s LOCK San balloon hits the street, drawing crowds for photos.
▲The one-kilometer-long parade is a spectacular sight.https://goo.gl/rmIDdx
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