A series of supporting activities will help give the new festival lift-off, including a concert, light show, air show and many other performances integrating elements from local folk culture.

The balloon festival, jointly sponsored by the administrative committee of Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone and Pingtan's bureau of tourism development, is just the latest addition to the city's rapidly expanding roster of cultural events designed to turn the group of islands in the Taiwan Strait into an international tourist destination.

Other new activities in the pipeline include the Sand Sculpture Festival and Blue Tears International Music Festival.

The fiesta is not the only way Pingtan plans to use hot air balloons to boost tourism. Starting from June 1, balloons bearing the city's tourism campaign slogan "Pingtan Blue" will be seen hovering above cities across China, promoting the city as an international tourism island.

The International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu is the largest hot air balloon festival in Canada. It is held each August in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]