Although hot air ballooning appeared in China as early as 1982,
still it's a long way before it thrives, said an official from
China Flight Simulation Association (CFSA) in Changchun during the
2007 China hot air balloon elite competition.
Starting from July 8, 2007, China's hot air balloon elite
competition just ended here on Thursday. In the five-day
competition, not only 70 pilots including Chinese top helmsmen like
Wang Jinhu and Liu Xiang competed in HW, HNH, ELB and other items,
amateurs also enabled to be part of the flight. In particular, on
the night of the opening day, 20 pairs of lovers held their unique
balloon wedding to mark the day. All of these help promote the
sport in China.
Wu Gongyu, director of the hot air balloon committee of CFSA,
said: "Having a history of over 200 years, the hot air ballooning
landed in China in 1983 as American media tycoon and balloon
enthusiast Malcolm Forbes brought two balloons to China. However,
it was not until 2000 when the sport developed greatly. In recent
five years, the sport made great progress in equipment, talents,
organization, finance and fields. Participants in the game have
been increasing by 23 percent annually, and we already have more
than 300 certified pilots."
According to Wu, the sport has become a part of people's life in
Great Britain, France, United States, Japan and some other
countries, and it is strongly attractive to many Chinese people
even though only a few have experienced it. With the drastic change
in people's lifestyle, as well as the upsweeping fever in extreme
sports, hot air ballooning is preferably the next fashion after
cliff-hanging, bungee and volplane.
"With a plain nacelle plus a balloon of six-to-seven-storey
high, the sport is not only spectacular but also multi-functional
as a game, an entertainment, a tour instrument as well as an
advertising medium," said Wu.
Meanwhile, Wu also pointed out the difficulty for its prevalence
in China. "Despite its promising development expectation, the
difficulty to promote it can never be underestimated," he said,
indicating the lack of government support as well as
misunderstanding among people, who regards hot air balloon as
"dangerous", "explosive" and privileged.
"Only time can erase such fear. Undeniably right now a balloon
costs as high as tens of thousands RMB, but it does not mean that
ordinary people can not participate in the game. With the promotion
of various sport events, many government departments have joined
us, which forms a firm base for its further expansion."
(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2007)