Giant Buddhas

Known as Daibutsu in Japan, ?? in Chinese, they are all gigantic Buddhas. Towering above Mount Rushmore, Giant Buddha's are the three largest statues currently standing, and are the largest statues in the world.

Image of Site of the Bamiyan Buddhas located in Bamian, Afghanistan | The hollow rock niche that once held the Great Buddha
Bamian, Afghanistan

Site of the Bamiyan Buddhas

Once an impressive link to Afghanistan’s Buddhist past, now a sad reminder of intolerance towards other cultures

Few man-made destructions of cultural heritage have been blatant as the bombing of the Bamiyan Buddhas by the Taliban in 2001. Prior to the destruction, the Giant Buddhas had already been worn... »

Lost Tribes, Curious Places of Worship, Incredible Ruins, Giant Buddhas | Edited by Tawsam and Rachel

Image of Win Sein Taw Ya located in Mudon, Myanmar
Mudon, Myanmar

Win Sein Taw Ya

The world's largest reclining Buddha, the Giant Buddha of Mudon

Win Sein Taw Ya is the largest reclining Buddha in the world, and at 30 meters high and 180 meters in length can be seen for miles. Located opposite of the Buddhist shrine of Kyauktalon Taung, the... »

Strange Statues, Curious Places of Worship, Giant Buddhas | Edited by Burmats and Rachel

Image of Ash Jesus and Ash Buddha located in Jardim Comendador Ho Yin, Macao | (You'd Be Much Better Here)
Jardim Comendador Ho Yin, Macao

Ash Jesus and Ash Buddha

Sculptures of religious figures made from the ashes of pilgrims' incense

Using the resurrected ashes from temple incense in Shanghai, Chinese artist Zhang Huan created the torsos of two of the most prominent religious figures in the world. Standing over 8 feet... »

Outsider Art, Strange Statues, Giant Buddhas | Edited by atimian

Image of Borobudur located in Magelang, Indonesia | (WikiCommons)
Magelang, Indonesia

Borobudur

Hundreds of Buddhas in a re-discovered Indonesian temple

Built in the late 8th century, Borobudur temple took an army of workers and 60,000 cubic meters of lava rock to construct. Yet despite its massive size and elaborate rows of Buddha statues, it was... »

Unusual Monuments, Giant Buddhas | Edited by tonka922 and atimian

Image of Tian Tan Buddha located in Ngong Ping, Hong Kong | (Flickr/ronocdh)
Ngong Ping, Hong Kong

Tian Tan Buddha

Valley in Hong Kong holds a tranquil Buddha that wants your money

Seated peacefully atop a lotus flower, the Tian Tan Buddha dominates the valley on Lantau Island. Although its size is average compared to some of the world's most massive Buddhas, the Tian Tan... »

Unusual Monuments, Strange Statues, Giant Buddhas | Edited by atimian

Image of Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram located in Pulau Tikus, Malaysia | Many people come to pay tribute to the Buddha
Pulau Tikus, Malaysia

Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram

Giant relaxing Buddha in Malaysia

When enlightenment is reached, the feeling is completely sublime and without trouble. Worries simply drift away into a calmer state of being. This Buddhist ethos is perfectly portrayed in Wat... »

Giant Buddhas | Edited by JBHewlett and atimian

Image of The Giant Buddha of Guifeng located in Jiangxi Sheng, China | The happy, sleeping face of the Buddha
Jiangxi Sheng, China

The Giant Buddha of Guifeng

China's mysterious record-setting sleeping Buddha

It's hard to miss a 1500-foot long sleeping Buddha. It's the size of an oil tanker stretched out and it has a gigantic face. Not to mention its toes are taller than an average-sized person. Still,... »

Unusual Monuments, Strange Statues, Giant Buddhas | Edited by serflac, atimian and others

Image of Thanboddhay Pagoda located in Mandalay, Myanmar | The Golden Pagoda (Flickr/mckaysavage)
Mandalay, Myanmar

Thanboddhay Pagoda

Luxurious devotion and 500,000 images of Buddha in Myanmar

On the average cathedral tour of Europe, tourists quietly take in the immense stained glass, the high vaulted ceilings and somber atmosphere. The average pagoda tour on the other hand is the... »

Curious Places of Worship, Giant Buddhas | Edited by serflac, atimian and others

Image of Gomateshvara Statue located in Mysore, India
Mysore, India

Gomateshvara Statue

World's tallest monolithic statue has served as a pilgrimage site since its completion in 993 CE

The tallest monolithic statue in the world, Gomateshwara is dedicated to Lord Bahubali and is located in Shravanabelagola. Carved out of a single block of granite, this statue, situated at the... »

Unusual Monuments, Giant Buddhas | Edited by adelinelum and Nicholas Jackson

Image of World's largest seated bronze outdoor Buddha located in Lantau Peak, Hong Kong | Tien Tan Buddha Lantau, Hong Kong (Source: spinkk/Atlas Obscura)
Lantau Peak, Hong Kong

World's largest seated bronze outdoor Buddha

Lantau Island, Hong Kong, China

The seated Buddha at Lantau, also called the Tien Tan Buddha, is 34 meters (110 feet) tall, weighs 250 metric tons and is approached by visitors from the nearby Po Lin Monastery by climbing 268... »

Giant Buddhas | Edited by spinkk, Dylan and 2 others