These are the tallest statues in the entire world today, which tower over New York’s Statue of Liberty and Rio’s Christ the Redeemer.
1. Statue of Unity, India (597 feet high)
India’s Statue of Unity is widely understood to be the tallest statue in the world, measuring 597 feet high. Set in the Narmada District of Gujarat, the statue was built to commemorate Indian statesman and independence activist Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of independent India. Completed in 2018, the statue was unveiled to the public on the 143rd anniversary of Patel’s birth.
2. Spring Temple Buddha, China (420 feet high)
Completed in 2008, the Spring Temple Buddha in Lushan, Henan in China is an impressive height – coming in at 420 feet, this makes it easily the second tallest statue in the world. The colossal monument depicts the Vairocana Buddha in glistening copper and gold which catches the light, making it visible from far and wide across China.
3. Laykyun Sekkya, Myanmar (380 feet high)
Myanmar’s Laykyun Sekkya is 380 feet tall, and thus the third tallest statue in the world. Located in Khatakan Taun, near Monywa in the Sagaing Division of Myanmar, the colossal statue took 12 years to complete, from 1996 to 2008.
The exterior of the building portrays a standing Gautama Buddha, accompanied by a reclining Gautama Buddha, along with a replica of the Shwedagon Pagoda called Aung Sekkya Pagoda and a whole series of smaller Buddha sculptures.
4. Statue of Belief, Vishwas Swaroopam, India (348 feet high)
Also known by locals as the Statue of Belief, Vishwas Swaroopam in India measures 348 feet high, making it a close contender with Laykyun Sekkya. Situated in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, the statue was completed in 2020, and is the largest monument in the world devoted to the Hindu Lord Shiva. Made in a distinctive shade of red copper the monument is designed to stand out from a distance.
5. Ushiku Daibutsu, Japan (330 feet high)
Japan’s impressive Ushiku Daibutsu is 330 feet tall, making it a hot contender in any list of the world’s tallest statues. Completed in 1993, this giant Buddha is located in Ushiku, in the Ibaraki Prefecture of Japan.
The statue depicts Amitabha Buddha and was created to commemorate the birth of Shinran (1173-1263), one of Japan’s most influential spiritual leaders, who founded Buddhism’s True Pure Land School and the Jodo Shinshu sect of Japanese Buddhism.
