A Chinese artist built a 500 m high ladder with fireworks into the sky in Quanzhou as an expression of love to his grandmother, reports said Tuesday.
The Daily Mail reported that Cai Guoqiang made the staircase with metal wire and aluminum, filled it with gunpowder and attached it to a hot air balloon.
Tha balloon itself was made with special material and was launched from a boat off a nearby island.
The 'sky ladder' lasted only 80 seconds, but it took the artist 21 years to plan and build it, the report said.
He made the first attempt in 1994 by launching a similar balloon into the sky, but strong winds felled it twice.
Cai, now based in New York, is the same artist who designed the spectacular fireworks to open the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Other reports quoted Cai as saying he put on the firework ladder display to thank his grandmother who worked hard to help him realise his dream of becoming an artist.
“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,” CCTV America quoted Cai as saying.
The video of the firework ladder quickly went viral on Chinese social media. The Chinese called it, "a ladder to heaven".
{{/usCountry}}The video of the firework ladder quickly went viral on Chinese social media. The Chinese called it, "a ladder to heaven".
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