Buddhism is one of the oldest and most important religions. Below is a list of the tallest, oldest, most impressive and historically significant Buddha statues in the entire world!
11. Statue of Buddha in Leshan
The Big Buddha in Leshan is a majestic and awe inspiring 71 meter high statue that symbolizes Maitreya, the future Buddha. The statue is carved out of a cliff and is located at the junction of three rivers in the Chinese province of Sichuan. This statue was made in the years between 713 and 803 and still attracts tourists today. "Big Buddha" is recognized as a monument and is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for its historical and archaeological significance.
According to legend, the idea of the "Big Buddha" came to the mind of the Chinese monk Hai Tong, who believed that the Buddha would calm the turbulent flow of the river and protect the ships that descend down the river. Some even claim that in order to secure funding for the project, the monk gouged out his eyes to show his devotion to the Buddha.
However, construction still stalled for as much as 7 years due to lack of funding, the project was completed by one of Hai Tong's students. The Big Buddha statue in Leshan made it possible to achieve the goals of Hai Tong: the stone was moved from the cliff and left in the river, and over time, the structure began to restrain the strong flow of the river, and because of this, the movement of ships became safer.
10. Great Buddha Gifu
The monumental statue is located in the Japanese temple of Shobo-ji in the city of Gifu. The idea for the statue originated in 1790 thanks to Kinpuzen, the 11th chief monk of Shobo-ji Temple. He believed that Buddha would be able to help avoid starvation and earthquakes, which were common in those regions.
Unfortunately, the statue was not completed during his lifetime, the project was helped to complete by his successor in April 1832. Ginkgo wood, bamboo nets, clay, lacquer, thin sheet gold - the materials used to build the statue.
9. Spring Temple Buddha
Spring Temple Buddha - Buddha Vairochana, is located in Zhaosun Village, Lushan County, China. The monument is located not far from the national highway number 311. The statue was built between 1997 and 2008. The height of the monument is 128 meters (this also includes 20 meters from the lotus pedestal).
For this reason, it is considered the second tallest statue in the world. Below the sculpture of the Buddha of the Spring Temple is a Buddhist temple. The construction project cost $ 55 million.
8. Buddha Park in Ravangla
Ravangla Buddha Park is located in the Indian state of Sikkim. The 40-meter-high statue is the main attraction of the park, it was constructed between 2006 and 2013. The Buddha Park is located on the territory where for many centuries there was a parking lot of Buddhist pilgrims - the Rabong Gompa monastery. The 14th Dalai Lama dedicated this statue on March 25, 2013.
7. Buduruwagala
Buduruwagala is an ancient Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, which "sheltered" 7 statues back in the 10th century. The largest of them still holds the remains of the original plastered robe. You can easily guess that the statue was once painted a bright orange, thanks to the long stripe left on its body.
The tallest sculpture is 15 meters high. Mystery surrounds the entire complex of these sculptures. The same rock from which the statues were carved contains carvings in the form of a flame that inexplicably becomes wet with oil.
6. Buddha statue Maligavila
This standing Buddha statue is carved from massive limestone. The statue was erected in the 7th century on behalf of Prince Agg Bodhi statue, and now its location is Sri Lanka. It was discovered broken into several parts in 1951, reconstructed and erected again in 1980. The height of the statue is 11 meters, it is the tallest free-standing ancient statue in Sri Lanka.
5. Aukana Buddha
The majestic statue of Buddha is located in the north of Sri Lanka, next to Kekivara. The height of the sculpture is over 12 meters, it was carved from granite in the 5th century. Now she is like a magnet for tourists. The architecture of Aukan Buddha reflects a mixture of styles from the Amaravati and Ganghara schools of art.
4. Bamiyan Buddha statues
These monuments are standing Buddhas, carved out of the rock and located in the central valley of Afghanistan, Bamiyan. The smallest statue was built in 507 AD, and the largest in 554 AD. The two statues were 35 and 53 meters high, respectively. The main parts of the sculptures, the bodies, were carved from sandstone; to complete the details, it was necessary to use plaster mixed from mud and straw.
Sadly, the Taliban blew up and destroyed the statues in March 2001 to raise international protests. However, it is possible that the statues will need to be restored.
3. Great Buddha in Ling Shan
The Great Buddha statue is located in the south of the Longshan Mountains in the Chinese province of Jiangsu. This sculpture is one of the largest statues in China and around the world. It reaches 88 meters in height and weighs 700 tons. The bronze, high-standing Amitabha or Amita Buddha was constructed at the end of 1996. To the east of the statue is the Brahma Palace and the Five Seals Palace.
2. Tiantan Buddha
Also known as the Big Buddha, the giant bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha is located in Hong Kong on Lantau Island. The construction was completed in 1993, the statue itself reflects the harmony and unity of man and nature, people and their faith. Tiantan Buddha is a cultural site that constantly attracts tourists.
He sits on a lotus on a three-tiered platform that serves as his altar. One big Buddha is surrounded by six small ones, who offer him flowers, rubbing, music, fruit, light and surnames. All these objects symbolize something of their own in Buddhism, they are called "Six Perfections" or "Six Paramitas". The height of the main statue is 34 meters, weight is more than 250 tons, and it is made of 202 bronze parts.
To reach the statue, visitors need to climb 268 steps. In addition to the statue, tourists can visit the nearby Po Lin and Buddhist Kingdom of the South monasteries, take the Ngonping 360 cable car and follow the Lantau hiking trail. The list of places for acquaintance is not limited to this.
1. Buddha Dordenma
A colossal statue of Shakyamuni Buddha is located near the mountains of Bhutan. The statue was built to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Jigme Singye Wangchuck, 4th King of Bhutan. More than 100 thousand small Buddhas, made of bronze and covered with gold, were inside the giant statue. The great Buddha Dordenma stands amid the ruins of a once sumptuous palace. The idea to erect a giant statue arose in October 2010. However, it was completed only on September 25, 2015. This sculpture is one of the tallest in the world, its "height" is 52 meters. For its construction, an amount of 47 million US dollars was needed.
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