With the tropical storm finally gone, Chishang in Taitung County is ready to send these balloons up, up, and away! The event will start at midnight on Friday. That's a week later than planned, due to poor weather last weekend. The annual festival in eastern Taiwan is famous for its beautiful hot air balloons, especially the one and only Hello Kitty hot air balloon in the world.
It has been a struggle to host the event this year. That's because of Taiwan's recent COVID-19 outbreak, and the unpredictable weather. Riding in the hot air balloons is restricted to only Taitung residents this year. However, viewers from across Taiwan are still showing up, even before sunrise.
Taitung residents say they are thrilled that for the first time, they have priority to ride the balloons. Some tourists from Tainan say that it's a shame they're not allowed to go up in the air.
Still, they think it's worth the trip to Taitung just to watch the spectacular balloons sail into the sky. Many tourists watched from afar, unable to ride, but still happy to take lots of pictures.
Another development this year is that the festival is providing free balloon rides to healthcare workers and their families. They say they hope this will encourage more people to come out and enjoy this unforgettable celebration.