Strange Statues

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

Woodland Hills, California, US

Old Trapper's Lodge Statues

A wild west scene starring life-sized wooden statues hides in the trees behind Pierce College

In 1941, former tracker John Ehn opened a motel in Burbank and called it “The Old Trapper's Lodge”. Ehn filled it with western memorabilia, weapons and pelts that represented his earlier vocation,... »

Unusual Monuments, Strange Statues | Edited by Rachel

Statue of José Maria Morelos

Climb through the life of a Mexican hero as you ascend a 130-foot statue

Approaching the tiny island of Janitizio by boat, there is no way to miss the towering Statue of José Maria Morelos. Standing 130-feet high over Lake Patzcuaro, the spiraling stairway that leads... »

Unusual Monuments, Strange Statues | Edited by serflac, stevelarson and others

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

City of Odessa, Texas, US

Stonehenge Replica

Massive stacked rocks in Texas prove the benefits of technology

In many ways, Stonehenge remains a complete mystery. Yet despite the lack of quality information on the megaliths, some estimates believe its erection took over 2000 years. But in 2004 in Odessa,... »

Unusual Monuments, Strange Statues | Edited by atimian

Gilis à Barras

A bizarre sculpture garden in the south of France

In the late 1960's, artist and mason Jean Prosper Gilis began creating his own sculpture yard and within five years it was complete. Stocked with cement figures that take the form of animals and... »

Outsider Art, Unique Collections, Strange Statues | Edited by bboas and atimian

The Zaisan Memorial

A huge communist-era propaganda monument and mural that offers stunning views of the Mongolian capital

In many ways, the Zaisan Memorial is a massive show of appreciation for the Soviet Union, from the Mongolian people. Seeming to promote good relations between the two states, the monument was... »

Strange Statues | Edited by Dampo and atimian

Alyosha Statue

A monument to the defenders of the arctic in Murmansk, Russia

In 1941, Soviet forces in Murmansk finally gained ground and pushed back against the invading Nazi army. A turning point in Hitler's arctic campaign, the Alyosha Statue was erected in 1974 as a... »

Unusual Monuments, Strange Statues | Edited by tonka922 and atimian

East Portland, Oregon, US

Portlandia

Portlandia is the second-largest copper repoussé statue in the United States

Portlandia is a sculpture by Raymond Kaskey located above the entrance of Michael Graves' Portland Building in downtown Portland, Oregon. It is the second-largest copper repoussé statue in the... »

Unusual Monuments, Strange Statues | Edited by canuck and atimian

Oude Kerk

Amsterdam's oldest church, and the center of Dutch prostitution

Amsterdam is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Europe. It is also a self-proclaimed experiment in freedom, which has forced many of the city's beautiful buildings and districts into... »

Unusual Monuments, Strange Statues | Edited by serflac and atimian