Trying to explain what burning man is to someone who has never been to the event is a bit like trying to explain what a particular color looks like to someone who is blind. there are no rules about how one must behave or express oneself at this event (save the rules that serve to protect the health, safety, and experience of the community at large); rather, it is up to each participant to decide how they will contribute and what they will give to this community. the event takes place on an ancient lakebed, known as the playa. by the time the event is completed and the volunteers leave, sometimes nearly a month after the event has ended, there will be no trace of the city that was, for a short time, the most populous town in the entire county.