After being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan’s annual hot air balloon event in Taitung has finally taken off, giving those who have been cooped up indoors because of the pandemic a good excuse to get out and visit the eastern Taiwan county.
The Taiwan International Balloon Festival has been held in Taitung every summer since 2011. The festival has always attracted foreign balloon teams, and there were concerns that it would be cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though it was delayed, this year’s festival has finally begun. It will run until August 30.
In the festival’s first four weeks, the balloons have already attracted more than 600,000 visitors. This year, the organizers estimate that the total number of visitors could break one million.
Authorities say that anyone planning to hop on one of the hot air balloons for a ride will still have to abide by COVID-19 prevention guidelines. All riders will have their temperatures taken and will have to wear masks from start to finish.