There are hundreds of statues on planet Earth. These are generally built to pay tribute to characters or deities. In addition, the largest and most impressive monuments in the world are usually associated with the deities of Buddhism. Sometimes they depict the Buddha himself, such as in the Chinese Spring Temple.
Despite its size, this is not the largest in the world, as there is another that surpasses it in height. Located in another Asian country, this figure is characterized by being extremely large, so much so that the Statue of Liberty in New York and the Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro might appear “small” next to it.
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What is the largest monument in the world?
The Statue of the Union It is the largest monument in the world. Located in the Gujarat province of India, it is dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of the most important politicians who founded modern India.
Located next to the Narmada River, it measures 182 meters, surpassing the Buddha of the Spring Temple of China, which reaches 128 meters. The figure of Vallabhbhai Patel is made of bronze and was inaugurated in October 2018 as part of the 142nd anniversary of Patel, who even became the first deputy prime minister of the aforementioned Asian country.
The Statue of Union is located in India. Photo: MundoArte
Despite being a tourist attraction, the construction of this monument is not free from criticism. This is due to the high price of construction – the investment was around 30,000 million rupees (almost 362,000 million dollars) -.
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What are the largest statues in the world?
In addition to the Union of India statue, there are other figures of imposing size that are considered destinations worth seeing and that you should visit at least once in your life.
- Buddha of Spring Temple, China: Located in Zhaocun, a township in Lushan County, China, this figure is a representation of the Vairochana Buddha. It was built between 1997 and 2008 and is 128 meters high without its 25 meter high lotus base.
- Dublin Spire, Ireland: An impressive stainless steel sculpture stands on O'Connell Street, a main artery in the Irish capital. This 119 meter high work has the shape of a cone that increasingly tapers towards the top.
- Laykyun Sekkya, Burma: In Khatakan Taung, Myanmar stands Laykyun Sekkya, which is considered one of the most impressive statues in the world with a height of 116 meters.
- Ushiku Daibutsu Buddha, Japan: It was completed in 1995 and is made of steel with a bronze coating. It is three times higher than the Statue of Liberty in New York because it measures 120 meters, of which the first 20 meters form the base.
- Birth of the New World, Puerto Rico: It stands 110 meters high on the Atlantic coast of Arecibo. Completed in 2016, it is the largest in America.
Japan's Ushiku Daibutsu Buddha is one of the largest monuments in the world. Photo: Travel Japan