Brilliant Buddha statues across Asia

The magic that comes with international travel is that you can immerse yourself in a brand new culture. From delicious foods to foreign languages, ancient architecture and history: everyday is a school day when you visit a new country.

Across Asia, there are giant buddha statues sitting atop mountains, hills and even along a river. These structures are unbelievably big in real life. While we aren’t travelling internationally anytime soon, we have rounded up some of the most impressive big buddhas from across Asia.

Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Akenakiri in Phuket, Thailand 

Seated atop the Nakkerd Hill near Chalong, is a massive Maravija Buddha statue. The statue’s official name is Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Akenakiri, shortened to Ming Mongkol Buddha and is 45m tall.

Image credit: Instagram/ @bookoftraveler

Tian Tan Buddha, Lantau, Hong Kong

Seated on a hilltop in Ngong Ping on Lantau Island in Hong Kong is a gigantic bronze statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. Sitting at 34m, this statue is symbolic of harmony between man, nature, people and faith. It is situated near the Po Lin Monastery.

Image credit: Instagram/ @salty_sandals

Leshan Giant Buddha, Sichuan province, China

At 71m tall, the Leshan Giant Buddha is the biggest buddha statue on Earth. The stone structure depicts Maitreya and was built between 713 and 803 during the Tang dynasty. The statue was carved from a cliff face of Cretaceous red bed sandstones and is situated at the point where the Min River and Dadu River meet.

Image credit: Instagram/ @jonohia

The Reclining Buddha, Bangkok, Thailand

Wat Phra Chetuphon or the Reclining Buddha is situated in the Wat Pho Buddhist temple complex on Rattanakosin Island in Bangkok. The statue is 15m tall and 46m long, giving the illusion that it has been squeezed into the temple where it is housed. The official name of this statue is Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan

Image credit: Instagram/ @brucealvino

Buddha Dordenma, Thimphu, Bhutan

Buddha Dordenma sits on a hill in Kuenselphodrang Nature Park in Bhutan. The statue is 54m high, made of bronze and coated in gold. This structure is steeped in history and was originally build to fulfill an ancient prophecy. The prophecy stated that once a statue was built, peace and happiness would encompass the world, according to Wanderlust Magazine. 

Image credit: Instagram/ @arthurchen

Gal Gal Viharaya, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

Gal Gal Viharaya was carved into the face of a granite boulder and sits at just over 14m tall. This statue is considered one of the most beautiful Buddha statues in the world.

Image credit: Instagram/ @tharakaukwatte

Some other incredible statues include:

Laughing Buddha, Vietnam

 

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A post shared by Karen Nillo 🌻 (@krmnillo) on Jun 4, 2019 at 1:41am PDT

Bongeunsa temple, Seoul, South Korea

 

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A post shared by RandomTuesday | Cosplay (@randomtuesday) on Oct 3, 2019 at 2:00pm PDT

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