This Day, That Year

Item from June 23, 1987, in China Daily: The Xiangfan Hot Air Balloon Association, the country’s first, marked its founding last week with an exhibition.

The club in Hubei province will sponsor an international hot air balloon contest in September.

Hot air ballooning is a relatively new pastime for Chinese, but it’s catching on fast.

China now has hundreds of licensed balloonists.

Balloon festivals and competitions have been held nationwide regularly since the establishment of the country’s first dedicated club in 1987.

Several provinces and regions have staged such events to promote local tourism.

In 1988, the Ballooning Commission under the Aero Sports Federation was founded to promote the sport.

Six year later, China participated in the Saga International Balloon Fiesta in Japan.

As ballooning becomes popular, some recent accidents have triggered safety concerns.

In 2015, 15 Chinese tourists were injured when a balloon hard landed in the central Turkish region of Cappadocia, a major tourist destination where hot air ballooning is popular.

In 2014, a Chinese tourist was killed and others injured when a balloon crashed in the same area.

The nine-day Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico is the largest hot air balloon festival in the world.

It takes place in October.