It's hard to believe the hundreds of stunning creations that rise from the dust each Burning Man are collectively enjoyed for a mere week, only then to be burned to the ground or carted off the remote stretch of Nevada desert.
This year's Burn was bigger than ever, and the art installations on display reflected the sheer scale of the pop-up utopia. Below, 16 of the most gorgeous, awe-inspiring pieces from the playa:
Church TrapRebekah Waites' giant, decaying replica of a church tipped on its axis like a box trap and featured an LED interior.
CoyoteRevelers loved climbing on Bryan Tedrick's 25-foot tall steel coyote, whose head rotated a full 360 degrees.
BelieveLaura Kimpton and Jeff Schomberg's large word series has become a Burning Man staple, and this year's piece paid homage to the event's Cargo Cult theme.
Dust City DinerMichael Brown and David Cole's 1950s-style diner came fully equipped with coffee and grilled cheese for its patrons.
El Pulpo MecanicoThe enormous, fire-breathing Octopus art car has been delighting revelers with its spectacle since 2011.
CharcadeChristopher Guard's flaming arcade featured glowing games like "Riskee ball," a Burning Man version of Skee ball.
Bat CountryGwen Fisher and Paul Brown's 21-foot, six-sided tetrahedron was built with 384 aluminum baseball bats and 130 softballs.
Truth Is BeautyMarco Cochrane's 55-foot tall sculpture of a female silhouette, which glittered with colorful LEDs at night, was the most buzzed-about piece at this year's event.
XylophageThe Flaming Lotus Girls' piece featured massive fungi glowing and emanating sounds beside a tree stump.
Universe RevolvesZachary Coffin's "world's heaviest merry-go-round" was constructed with 80,000 pounds of stone and steel.
HandsDavid Gertler's 12-foot pair of wooden hands provided an unconventional resting place for attendees.
Like 4 RealDadara's golden Facebook like button allowed participants to worship at its altar.
Black Rock BijouBurning Man's fully-functioning movie theater showed classic films and served popcorn and candy.
Homouroboros, TantalusPeter Hudson's interactive drum sculpture featured replicas of monkeys and serpents who moved as users engaged.
Temple of WhollynessBurning Man builds and burns a temple each year, providing a place for participants to honor loved ones who have died. This year's temple, built by SYNTHESIS LLC, took shape as a 64-foot tall pyramid.
The ManNo Burn would be complete without its Man, which lives at the apex of the event grounds and burns to the ground in a sea of fireworks at the end of the week. The Man of 2013 perched atop a spaceship, and attendees could climb inside and slide down its sides.