Experience the thrill of skydiving from the air, enjoy mountain views from a helicopter, watch dazzling drone light shows amidst city fireworks… During this year’s National Day holiday, Chongqing’s low-altitude economy demonstrated strong consumer appeal. Site visits revealed that new low-altitude consumption formats like helicopter tours, paragliding, and hot air balloon flights saw peak visitor numbers, while innovative experiences like drone performances and flight flash mobs delighted both residents and tourists.
On the morning of October 7th, engine roars filled the sky above Chongqing Longxing General Airport as a white PC-6 aircraft opened its door mid-flight. A skydiving instructor and experience participant leaped out together. “This was a new experience for me in Chongqing. Looking down from the sky, cars on the road looked like tiny ants – absolutely magical, and I didn’t feel scared at all,” shared one tourist from Shanxi.
As Chongqing’s first high-altitude skydiving base in the central urban area, Chongqing Longxing General Airport experienced a significant surge in visitors during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday period, with skydiving participants doubling compared to regular days.
Beyond the central urban area, many districts and counties also witnessed booming low-altitude consumption. At the Shuanglong Town flight base in Wushan, technicians worked together to spread out a massive balloon envelope. As the fan started, the envelope gradually filled with air and slowly stood upright. Meanwhile, operators carefully installed gas tanks and checked pipeline connections before igniting the burner. With orange flames bursting forth, the hot air balloon carrying tourists lifted steadily off the ground and ascended into the sky.
During the National Day period, Liangping also launched a series of “low-altitude fun” activities, including drone soccer performances, youth drone flying competitions, simulated drone flight experiences, mini-drone obstacle courses, and entertaining challenges like “aerial tug-of-war” and “precision landing.” Additionally, hot air balloon experiences and powered paragliding were available.
As night fell on October 6th, a thousand-drone formation combined with brilliant fireworks at Chongqing Happy Valley created aerial displays featuring patterns like “I Love China,” prompting visitors to capture the spectacular moments with their phones. “So exhilarating! I never expected technology and patriotic sentiment could blend so perfectly,” exclaimed an excited university student from Hubei.
Statistics show that during the first four days of the holiday, Chongqing Happy Valley achieved record-breaking performance, with tourists from outside the city increasing by 10%. The main sources of visitors were Sichuan, Guizhou, Hubei, and Shaanxi.
Drone performances not only illuminated Chongqing’s night sky but also ignited consumer enthusiasm. “Moon viewing plus drones” became a popular holiday activity. One family from Shaanxi specifically chose a Western restaurant on Nanbin Road for their Mid-Autumn Festival dinner. “We enjoyed our reunion dinner while watching the drone show – we had the moon, technology, and delicious food all together. This experience is truly unique,” they shared.
At an establishment just 300 meters from the core drone performance area on Nanbin Road, the owner reported being extremely busy. “For seven consecutive days, we’ve achieved nearly 100,000 yuan in daily revenue, a 300% increase compared to regular days.” According to platform data, searches for “Chongqing drones” saw daily growth exceeding 70% starting October 4th, while searches for restaurants and hotels with drone viewing opportunities increased by over 253%.
