The world is full of statues, some constructed during our modern times while others built in ancient times. These statues, which are scattered across the planet, are not the same in terms of size, height, shape, design, and purpose. Some are built in to show devotion to deities some to fulfil vanity. This article comprises a list of the tallest statues in the world.

tallest statues in the world

Biggest statues in the world

The List of the 30 world’s tallest statues

RankStatueCountryHeight metersHeight feetCompleted
1Statue of UnityIndia182 m597 ft2018
2Spring Temple BuddhaChina128 m420 ft2008
3Laykyun SekkyaMyanmar115.8 m380 ft2008
4Ushiku DaibutsuJapan100 m330 ft1993
5Sendai DaikannonJapan100 m330 ft1991
6Guishan GuanyinChina99 m325 ft2009
7Great Buddha of ThailandThailand92 m302 ft2008
8Dai Kannon of Kita no Miyako parkJapan88 m289 ft1989
9Awaji KannonJapan80 m260 ft1982
10Grand Buddha at Ling ShanChina79 m259 ft1996
11Guanyin of NanshanChina78 m256 ft2005
12Statue of Gautama Buddha [my]Myanmar77.9 m256FT2019
13Garuda Wisnu Kencana statueIndonesia76 m249FT2018
14Bronze statue of Dizang at Mount JiuhuaChina76 m249FT2012
15Guanyin statue in Tsz Shan MonasteryChina76 m249FT2012
16Kaga KannonJapan73 m240 FT1987
17Confucius of Mount NiChina72 m236 FT2016
18Leshan Giant BuddhaChina71 m233FT803
19Chao Mae Kuan ImThailand69 m226FT2016
20Son Tra Quan Am [vi]Vietnam67 m220FT2010
21Taihu Guanyin TempleChina67 m220FT2017
22Yang’asha of GuizhouChina66 m217FT2017
23Statue of EqualityIndia65.8 m216 FT2018
24Motherland MonumentUkraine62 m203 FT1981
25Guze Jibo Daikannon of the Naritasan Kurume Bunin templeJapan62 m204 FT1983
26Guanyin of Mount XiqiaoChina62 m205 FT1998
27Guan Yu of YunchengChina61 m206 FT2010
28Luangpho YaiThailand59.2 m194 FT1979
29God of the Red Mountain 赤山神, Chìshānshén)China58.8 m193 FT2010
30Statue of Guan YuChina58 m190 FT2016

1. The Tallest statue – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel- Statue of Unity | India

The world’s tallest statue stands at 182 meters. It is called the Statue of Unity and it depicts Indian statesman and independence activist Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Unveiled in 2018 by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, the statue marked the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.

It is built on an island river across the Sardar Sarovar dam near Vadodara in Gujarati, the birth state of the former deputy prime minister.

Patel was the first deputy prime minister and home affairs minister after independence. The giant statue is believed to have cost approximately $200 million and when measured from the base, it is 240 meters tall (790 feet).

Unlike many statues around the world, The Statue of Unity is not free to visit. Tickets issued are for two hours and covers the entry to the memorial, valley flower, audiovisual gallery, and museum. But being a lifetime experience, the fee is worth it.

2. Spring Temple Buddha | China

Standing at 153 meters tall, the Spring Temple Buddha is the second-tallest statue in the world. It is situated in Henan, a landlocked province in central China. The construction of the statue started in 1997 and took almost a decade to complete, having been unveiled in 2008. Standing on a 20-meter tall lotus throne, the colossal statue, which depicts Vairocana Buddha comprises 1,100 pieces of the copper cast.

Spring Temple Buddha Statue was named after the hot spring that is located near the site of the statue in the small township of Zhaocun.   The hill that supports the monument is currently being reshaped to create two additional pedestals, which will bring the total height of the monument to 20 meters (682 feet).

The cost of the entire project was around $55 million. Spring Temple Buddha is sometimes compared to the Statue of Liberty, though it is much taller than its American counterpart. It is the tallest Buddha statue.

Grand Statue – Spring Temple Buddha Statue photo source wikipedia

3. Laykyun Sekkya | Myanmar

Situated in Monywa, Myanmar, the world’s third tallest statue with a height of 116 meters is Laykyun Setkyar. Its construction began in 1996 and was completed in 2008. It is a statue of Gautama Buddha, standing on a 13.5 meters tall throne in the small village of Khatakan Taung in Monywa.

For the first few months after unveiling, it was the world’s tallest statue, before the Spring Temple Buddha was completed seven months later the same year.

While visitors see it as an attraction site, the locals view the statue as a sacred embodiment and a place of worship, the color yellow is considered the color of wisdom in Buddhism. Gautama Buddha (Shakyamuni) was a spiritual master who is widely considered to be the founder of Buddhism.

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4. Ushiku Daibutsu | Japan

Located in the city of Ushiku, Japan, this statue was completed in 1993 and stands at 110 meters excluding the base. For 15 years, the statue was the tallest in the world before the Spring Temple Buddha and Laykyun Sekkya statues in China and Myanmar respectively. Today, it is the fourth tallest monument in the world.

It features an elevator that takes visitors to an observation floor at 85 meters. The statue shows Amitabha Buddha and is made entirely of bronze. The monument was constructed to celebrate the birth of Shinran, founder of True Pure Land School (Jodo Shinshu).

There are four levels. The first level is dark with a single tube of light shining from above and onto a cauldron of smoking incense at the center of the room. This level is called Infinite Light and Infinite Life. The other three levels are called World of Gratitude and Thankfulness, World of the Lotus Sanctuary, and Room of Mt. Grdhrakuta.

5. Sendai Daikannon | Japan

Completed in 1991, Sendai Daikannon was the tallest statue in the world at the time but has since been dethroned. Nevertheless, it is still the world’s tallest statue of Nyoirin Kannon and the tallest goddess statue in Japan. In relation to other monuments in general, Sendai Daikannon is the fifth tallest in the world.

It is a statue of Bodhisattva Kannon from Shingon Buddhism and it carries the Nyoihoju wishing gem in her hand, meaning she is a version of the Nyoirin Kannon or Wish-fulfilling Kannon.

Inside the statue, there are numerous Buddha statues and other mythical kings on the first floor. Beyond the first floor, you can take an elevator to take you up to the 12th-floor level. Each level has eight Buddhas exhibited in timber cabinets, totaling 108.

Visitors must pay a small entry fee to enter the monument.

6. Qianshou Qianyan Guanyin of Weishan | China

This colossal monument is the fourth tallest in China and the sixth tallest on the planet. The gilded bronze statue depicts a bodhisattva exemplifying the compassion of all Buddha. It is believed to have cost the Ningshan County Government around $40 million to construct the idol and was completed in 2009.

photo source Wikipedia

7. Great Buddha of Thailand

Perhaps one of the most popular statues in this list, The Great Buddha of Thailand is located in Wat Muang, In Ang Thong province Thailand. Standing at 92 meters, the statue is made of concrete but painted gold, having been completed in 2008.

Unlike other statues, the Big Buddha of Thailand in this monument is in the seated posture known as Maravijaya Attitude. It was built on the orders of Phra Kru Vibul Arjarakhun, the first abbot of Wat Muang temple, to honor the King Bhumibol of Thailand.

The giant monument was built using money donated from faithful Buddhists, which cost around $3.3 million. The idol can be observed from a distance and is one of the recognizable landmarks of Thailand.

8. Dai Kannon of Kita no Miyako park | Japan

This statue was the tallest in the world when it was unveiled in 1989 at 88 meters tall, though it lost that title in 1991 by Sendai Daikannon. The construction of the monument began in 1975 and was built to depict Guanyin in the Kita no Miyako park on Hokkaido Island.

The statue consists of more than 20 floors, which are all served by an elevator. Each floor contains shrines as well as places for worship and an observation deck.

It is the third-tallest statue in Japan and the eighth tallest on earth.

9. Rodina-Mat’ Zovyot! (The Motherland Calls) | Russia

Located in atop Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, Rodina-Mat’ Zovet! Or ‘Homeland-Mother Is Calling!’ is the compositional center of ‘Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad’ designed by sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich. It was declared the tallest statue in the world when it was unveiled in 1967, and though it lost that title a long time ago, the monument is still the tallest statue in Europe, the tallest in the world outside Asia, and the tallest statue of a woman in the world if you exclude pedestals.

Its two hundred steps denote the 200 days of the infamous Battle of Stalingrad. These steps are not in the statue, but rather lead from the bottom of the hill to the monument’s foot.

The statue is so famous that it features on both the coat of arms and the flag of Volgograd Oblast.

10. Awaji Kannon | Japan

World Peace Giant Kannon, Awaji Kannon is a statue, museum, and temple located on Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture in Japan. Though the whole complex is currently abandoned, the statue doesn’t escape the attention of visitors.

The construction began in 1977 and the statue rests on a five-story pedestal building that is 20 meters tall. Its structure belonged to a family, but after they died, the statue and the land became the property of the Japanese government.

On the sixth floor of the statue, visitors can enjoy the views of the surrounding. But unfortunately, that is all there is about this statue.

The statue doesn’t enjoy that much support from the locals, especially after someone committed suicide by jumping off the observation deck.

If you want to visit the statue, better do it now as the government of Japan announced that it will be demolished by the end of next year (2022).

11.Grand Buddha at Ling Shan

Located on the shores of Lake Tai near Wuxi in (longshan) Jiangsu province of China, The Grand Buddha at Ling Shan is a bronze Amitabha that is 79 meters tall. Visitors can also check out the nearby Brahma Palace.

This statue stands on Ling Shan Mountain, where an ancient Buddhist temple stood in the past. Its construction was completed in 1996 and is made of bronze and tin, weighing around 700 tons. Its right hand is lifted with the palm facing outward, just like most Buddha statues in Asia. The seal of fearlessness rests on its palm to symbolize the elimination of suffering. The left hand holds the wishes seal with the palm facing out.

photo source Wikipedia

12. Guanyin of Nanshan

The Guanyin of Nanshan is an imposing statue depicting bodhisattva Guanyin, located on the south coast of the island province of Hainan, close to the Nanshan Temple of Sanya. The statue was built six years, and features three aspects – one side faces inland while the other two face the South China Sea to signify protection and blessing by Guanyin of China and the world. One aspect shows the Buddha embracing a sutra in the left hand and gesturing the Vitaraka Mudra with the right hand, the second aspect depicts her palms crossed, holding a string of prayer beads, while the third and last aspect depicts her holding a lotus.

The statue was built by around 108 monks from Buddhist groups in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China, and Macao.

13 Statue of Gautama Buddha

Though this giant statue is often termed as the biggest sitting image of Buddha in the world, it is not as tall as the sitting Buddha in Thailand. Nevertheless, it is one of the largest sitting Buddhas in the world and the second-largest statue in Myanmar.

14 Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue

Standing at 76 meters tall, Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue is located in the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park in Bali, Indonesia. The total height of the monument, including the 46 meters tall base, is 122 meters, making it about 30 meters higher than the famous Statue of Liberty when measured from the base.

15 Statue of Dizang at Mount Jiuhua

Mount Jiuhua is among the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China located in Chizhou City in Anhui Province. On this mountain is a bronze statue depicting Ksitigardha Bodhisattva. The entire mountain is dedicated to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

16 Guanyin statue in Tsz Shan Monastery

This statue is located within the Tsz Shan Monastery in Hong Kong. It ranks highly in Hong Kong guidebooks and because it is one of its kind. Guan yin or Kwun Yam is Goddess Mercy, and with her plinth, she stands 76 meters. The statue most often draws a comparison with Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.

17 Kaga Kannon

Kannon of Kaga is a 73 meters tall statue located in Kaga, Japan. The statue depicts a standing Guanyin and is currently the seventeenth-tallest in the world. The statue was completed in 1987.

18 Confucius of Mount Ni

According to legends, Mount Ni is the birthplace of Confucius. It is believed he was left there for a period by his mother because he was ugly, and was taken care of by an eagle and a tiger. The 72-meter brass idol was unveiled in 2018 in Shandong Province during the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is currently the world’s tallest statue of Confucius.

19 Leshan Giant Buddha

This 71-meter statue depicts Maitreya, carved out of a cliff at the confluence of Dadu River and Min River in Sichuan. The giant stone monument faces Mount Emei and is currently the tallest and largest stone Buddha statue on the planet and the tallest pre-modern monument in the world. Leshan Buddha is one of the iconic landmarks in China

The construction of the statue started in 723 AD under the directions of a Chinese monk called Hai Tong and hoped that that Buddha would calm the turbulent water that sunk many shipping vessels traveling down the river.

Its entire body is built in stone, but the ears were designed from wood, covered with mud on the surface, and then attached to the head.

20 Chao Mae Kuan Im

Last but not least, Chao Mae Kuan Im is the twentieth-largest statue in the world. Located within the Chao Mae Kuan Im Shrine, the statue is not famous compared to other idols on this list. Chao Mae Kuan Im was unveiled in 2016 and stands at 69 meters.

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