Sky Ladder

Earlier this summer, residents of Huiyu Island, China, witnessed a fireworks first that recently made waves online: a sparkling stairway to heaven, set ablaze from its base by artist Cai Guo-Qiang. The 1,640-ft. (500 m) structure was suspended from a helium balloon; once it was fully lit, as seen here, it burned for almost two minutes. Cai, whose previous attempts in Bath, England; Shanghai; and L.A. had failed, called the feat a “childhood dream” come true.