Society

Wedding proposal full of hot air

(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-02-09 08:58

A man proposed to his girlfriend on a hot-air balloon in the sky over Shenzhen of Guangdong last week.

Zang, a romantic, thought up the scheme secretly to give his girlfriend a surprise.

Moved by Zang's touching words and the special proposal, the girlfriend accepted Zang's engagement ring in the air, reports Nanfang Metropolis.

Zang, a businessman in Shenzhen, drove his girlfriend to a golf course in suburban Shenzhen last Wednesday, where the balloon was waiting for them.

The girlfriend smiled after seeing through Zang's attempt and stepped into the balloon happily.

"I think Zang is an optimistic person who always has novel ideas and tries to amuse me with surprises," she was quoted by Nanfang Metropolis as saying.

The balloon was filled with hot air on the green ground of the golf court, which attracted a number of passers-by to watch.

Fearing an accident involving the crowd, security guards tried to stop the balloon from taking off. The deadlock lasted for more than two hours, which made Zang as desperate as an ant on a hot pan.

"It might be a simple move for you, but it will ruin my whole life if you stop the balloon from taking off," Zang told the security guards.

As dusk was coming, the security guards finally compromised and let the balloon go. Drifting in the air for about half an hour, Zang finished his proposal and the couple returned safely to the ground.

The couple seemed very excited after the trip, which was the first time for both of them in a hot-air balloon.

Zang said he has been planning the balloon proposal for weeks and registered with a balloon club for the trip.

He met his sweetheart four months ago, and the two fell in love almost at first sight.

"I got the feeling that she is my Miss Right after dating her for a while," Zang said. He first got the idea of a balloon proposal when his girlfriend said she admired balloon trips and wanted to have a try. The audience was also moved by the romantic atmosphere and greeted the couple with applause and flowers when they came down from the sky.

"I think the proposal is perfect, especially in the modern busy world in which many people forget to enjoy romance," said Chen, a local resident who witnessed the event.

Some people worried about the security of balloon travel in the city. Experts said the golf court is an approved site for balloon flying, and the weather and nearby circumstances were ideal for flying that day.