TAIPEI (Taiwan News) –The 2022 Shihmen Reservoir Hot Air Balloon Carnival, which runs from June 18-26 at Nanyuan Ecopark (南苑生態公園), will not only provide daily tethered hot air balloon rides but will also feature dinosaur-shaped hot air balloons from the U.K. and Brazil, as well as light and fire shows during the weekend, Taoyuan Department of Tourism said in a press release on Wednesday (June 8).

Tethered hot air balloon rides will be offered daily from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. in the morning session as well from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the afternoon session, and riders will be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the ecopark and rear pool from high above, according to the festival’s official website.

Rides will be provided for 100 people in each session, meaning that a total of 200 people will get to ride in a hot air balloon each day during the nine-day period.

Advanced online registration is required for the rides. Registration for rides on June 18-21 is open from 10:30 a.m. on June 13, while registration for rides on June 22-26 begins at 10:30 a.m. on June 20. Tickets are NT$500 per person and NT$400 for Taoyuan residents. For online registration, visit the official website.

In addition to the tethered rides and the light and fire shows on weekends, there are free on-site activities such as a hot air balloon walk-in, which is a walk inside a filled balloon (pictured below), as well as the hot air balloon museum. Participants of the daily four sessions of the 15-minute balloon walk-in activity, which is conducted from 3:30-4:30 p.m., will have to take a number from the event’s information desk (大會服務台), starting at 2:30 p.m., the official website said.

(Taoyuan Department of Tourism photos)