Lady Buddha

There’s something different about Vietnam’s tallest Buddha statue. It isn’t your typical male Buddha effigy—this enormous structure depicts a woman.

Buddhists the world over have built plenty of tall statues of Buddha. But “Buddha” does not just mean the man born Siddhartha Gautama. “Buddha” also means “Enlightened One,” and there’s no reason why a great sage can’t be a woman.

The Linh Ung Pagoda, just outside Da Nang, Vietnam, decided to build the world’s largest statue of an indisputably feminine Buddha. The resulting Lady Buddha towers 220 feet (67 meters) tall and is perched atop of a lotus-shaped temple.

The statue has 17 floors, with each floor dedicated to a different Buddha. Though the multi-level trek is tough, it’s worth it for the spectacular views of the city.

There’s more to see at the temple in addition to the Buddha. The grounds display an impressive collection of relatively life-sized statues and topiaries, and also boasts a quiet mountainside view of the bustling city of Da Nang below.