Fiery ladder to heaven appears over Quanzhou

World Today

Residents of Quanzhou city in Fujian Province were baffled to see a fiery 500-meter ladder extending into the night sky on Monday.

The oddly compelling sight was created by renowned New York-based Chinese artist Cai Guoqiang, known around the world for his gunpowder artwork.

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The artist used a hot air balloon to hold up the 5.5-meter-wide rope ladder, which was lit in flames from the bottom. The piece lasted just over two minutes.

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The artist said he dreamed of creating a ladder to heaven 21 years ago. His first attempt in Bath, England, failed because the hot air balloon attached to the end of the ladder wouldn’t rise. After two more failed attempts in Shanghai and Los Angeles, the artist said he realized he needed to bring the project to his hometown of Quanzhou.

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“This is the hometown of my grandma, who supported my artistic dream by selling seafood. I’ve always hoped to come back here one day, to set off the most beautiful fireworks for her,” Cai said.

Story be CCTV News