Taoyuan Shihmen Reservoir Hot Air Balloon Carnival - Mayor Cheng: Encourage tourism in the area to help residents appreciate the beauty of Shihmen Reservoir

While attending the “2016 Taoyuan Shihmen Reservoir Hot Air Balloon Carnival” press conference held at the Shihmen Reservoir Nanyuan Eco Park on June 16th, Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-Tsan expressed that the Shihmen Reservoir Hot Air Balloon Carnival, organized by the Taoyuan City Government, would be held on June 18th, 19th, 25th, and 26th. Activities include hot air balloon rides, hot air balloon night time light sculpture and music festival, vertical wind tunnel experiences, RC aircraft aerobatics, walk in discovery tour, and even “Hot Air Balloon Fish Snack Pack.”
The 2016 Shihmen Reservoir Hot Air Balloon Carnival will be held on June 18th, 19th, 25th, and 26th (two consecutive weekends) at Shihmen Reservoir. The Department of Tourism of Taoyuan City Government made specific arrangements to hold the event at Shihmen Reservoir Nanyuan Eco Park, and this would be the first time that a hot air balloon event was held in northern Taiwan. This event would provide valuable experiences needed to integrate the carnival into local culture, encourage tourism, and help people appreciate the beautiful landscape of Shihmen Reservoir.
Mayor Cheng reminded everyone that hot air balloon rides would be offered from 05:30 AM to 07:30 AM in the morning as well as 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM in the afternoon when air currents are most stable. Rides would be provided to 100 individuals in each session, meaning that a total of 200 people would get to ride in hot air balloon each day. It would take 5 to 7 minutes for a hot air balloon to make its ascent from ground surface. About 3 to 4 people could ride in the basket in each of these ascents. People riding the hot air balloon would enjoy a breathtaking view of the wonderful landscapes of Nanyuan Eco Park and Houchi.
In addition to hot air balloon rides, night-time activities (from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM) have been scheduled as well. These include the hot air balloon night light sculpture and music fest with musicians such as Gao Hui Jun, Rebecca Adu Kaniw, Ayugo Huang, Huang Wei-Jie, and Jakie Hung as well as renowned celebrities such as Henry Hsu and Olivia Tsao. This festival of music and hot air balloons would be supplemented by colorful and brilliant pyrotechnics and laser displays to create wondrous displays of light sculpting shows.
Mayor Cheng also mentioned other attractions such as the “vertical wind tunnel” established at the event venue that allows visitors to experience the fun of gliding in the air; “remote controlled aircraft show” where professional RC pilots who represented Taiwan in many global competitions would show visitors the art of handling large model aircraft and helicopters by performing complex aerobatic displays; while the “Walk In Discovery Tour” gives visitors a chance to experience the beauty of hot air balloons up close. A series of activities such as Solving the Legend of the Magical Stone, Teddy Mascot Summer Fun, and Guided Tours with Shihmen Professionals have also been arranged by the organizers.
Organizers also worked with 8 local fish restaurants to release the summer special “Hot Air Balloon Fish Snack Pack” that include fried fish fillet, cold noodles with fresh fish cutlets, and fish fillet sandwiches. These delicious snacks would be packaged in attractive Hot Air Balloon Fish Snack Packs and can be carried around easily, allowing visitors to enjoy the beautiful sceneries of Shihmen Reservoir while having delicious food.
Mayor Cheng reminded everyone that the “Shihmen Reservoir and Dahan River Basin Attractions Project”, promoted by Taoyuan City Government, has been aiming at establishing a “Xizhou Station” and creating a “Cultural and Art Boulevard” at Jia’an. Visitors could jog, cycle, or ride electric scooters to tour the lake as they engage in sports tourism, low-carbon eco-tourism, and in-depth travels.
Director-General Yang Sheng-ping of the Department of Tourism mentioned that the “2016 Taoyuan Shihmen Reservoir Hot Air Balloon Carnival” would be held from 05:30 AM to 07:30 PM on June 18th, 19th, 25th, and 26th with fun activities scheduled for the entire day. The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service would be offering a 20% discount to encourage the use of public transport. Due to limited parking in the Shihmen Reservoir Park area, visitors were encouraged to park their cars outside Gaoxian Toll station along Minzhi and Minyou roads and took the free shuttle bus to Shihmen Reservoir.