A New Angle on Sightseeing

By+Wei+Yao

As a new form of sightseeing， hot-air ballooning is sprouting up in various tourist destinations in China. Many people are mustering up the courage to experience this new style of touring. Sitting in a basket suspended beneath a balloon—which could be small， with only three or four people， or large enough for a dozen people—and rising up hundreds of meters into the sky， passengers can look over the landscape below. It is defi nitely a fresh experience for people who are used to enjoying views on the ground.

Hot-air ballooning has become a common type of sightseeing trip worldwide and a musthave experience for tourists in Turkey， Egypt， Australia and other countries. The activity has also emerged in China in the last decade.

The progenitor of todays hot-air balloons dates back to the Five Dynasties era 1，100 years ago. The Kongming lantern， a small hot-air balloon made of paper， has been tradition- ally made for centuries. Due to this similarity， many Chinese people feel that hot-air balloons are familiar. The modern hot-air balloon was introduced to China after the nation began its reform and opening up process， fi rst appearing in Beijing during the 1990s. But in recent decades， hot-air balloons have found their way to more and more regions， as their usefulness in sports， entertainment， tourism and advertising have been discovered.

Hot-air ballooning， as an airborne activity， carries safety risks. It can only be conducted in appropriate weather by qualifi ed pilots， who must abide by Chinas air-control regulations. Nowadays， tourists can enjoy the pleasure of hot-air balloon sightseeing in most regions at a cost of around 1，000 yuan （$150） to 2，000 yuan（$300） per fl ight.