From August 8 to 13, the National Hot-Air Balloon Championship was held in Datong, Shanxi Province. Liu Xiang and Liu Zhong, a father and a son from the city of Xiangyang, won the championship.

Liu Xiang is a hot-air balloon pilot from Xiangyang Hongwei Aircraft Limited Liability Company. It was the fifth time that he had won the national hot-air balloon championship.

47 professional hot-air balloon teams with about 100 pilots all over the country participated in the championship. It was the biggest, the highest and the most influential hot-air balloon contest in the country.