The quantum Hall effect occurring in two-dimensional electron gases was first explained by Laughlin, who developed a thought experiment that laid the groundwork for our understanding of topological quantum matter. His proposal is based on a quantum Hall cylinder periodically driven by an axial magnetic field, resulting in the quantized motion of electrons. We realize this milestone experiment with an ultracold gas of dysprosium atoms, the cyclic dimension being encoded in the electronic spin and the axial field controlled by the phases of laser-induced spin-orbit couplings. Our experiment provides a straightforward manifestation of the nontrivial topology of quantum Hall insulators, and could be generalized to strongly correlated topological systems.