The 2022 Taiwan International Hot Air Balloon Festival in Taitung ended last month to rave reviews. But anyone who missed out need not fret, because another balloon festival has finally launched in Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan after stormy weather caused a minor hitch.
The 2022 Kaohsiung Hot-Air Balloon Festival was supposed to start on September 2, but because of Typhoon Hinnamnor, the official start date was pushed back three days. Early Monday morning, event organizers started inflating the balloons.
The first leg of the festival will take place in Kaohsiung’s Tianliao Moon World — a place named for its rocky, moon-like geography. Visitors can go for balloon rides, and so far, the attraction is getting rave reviews. Riders say they feel like they’re in Turkey instead of Taiwan.
On September 16, the event will move to Kaohsiung’s Love River. There, riders will ascend over the riverbank and look over the southern port city.
Tickets are available for booking online. But organizers say they’ll also release more tickets to buy in person each day — as long as weather conditions permit.