Turkey's Cappadocia to host 3rd int'l hot air balloon festival

STORY: Turkey's Cappadocia to host 3rd int'l hot air balloon festival DATELINE: July 13, 2022 LENGTH: 0:01:04 LOCATION: Ankara CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1 various of the hot air ballons in the sky 2 various of tourists STORYLINE: The third international hot air balloon festival "BalonFest 2022" will kick off in the Cappadocia region on July 21. 15 classic air balloons and 25 special-shaped air balloons from 12 countries will fill the sky of Cappadocia during the four-day event. The festival will host balloon shows at sunrise, local tasting and music events, concerts and DJ performances, movie screening, parachuting and laser shows. Cappadocia region in central Anatolia is a UNESCO World Heritage site and famous for its fairy chimneys-cone-shaped rock formations. The unique volcanic cones and caves in valleys were used by early Christians as underground cities to hide from persecution. Some of the caves are now used as boutique hotels and houses carved into the rock. Xinhua News Agency correspondents