The 10 Tallest Statues In The World (And Where To See Them)

One of the most famous statues in the world is the Statue of Liberty in New York. It stands 151-feet tall and is not nearly one of the tallest statues in the world. Recognition-wise, the Statue of Liberty would rank first, but this list is about the tallest statues, and Lady Liberty is 115 feet too short to make the cut. Don't expect Brazil's Christ the Redeemer (98 feet) statue here either because the shortest statue in this list is a towering 263 feet, about 3/4 the size of a football field. We present these monstrosities and where they are located.

10 World Peace Giant Kannon, Japan

via: theatlantic.com

Kannon is a Japanese goddess, Guanyin in Chinese, and also known as the Goddess of Mercy. While this statue is not the biggest Kannon on Earth, the World Peace Giant Kannon is the tallest one on the Awaji Island of Japan.

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Standing at 262-feet tall, the statue is like a giant lighthouse overlooking Osaka Bay. Awaji Island is located in the Hyogo Prefecture, with Osaka to the east and Kobe to the north. The statue sits atop a 66-foot, 5-story building that used to be frequented by tourists. Sadly, the place is shut down and is being restored since 2006.

9 Statue Of Unity, India

Just towards the end of 2018, the tallest statue in the world title was official given to India's Statue of Unity. At least 174-feet taller than the previous tallest statue, the Statue of Unity towers over all statues in existence at 597 feet. It was built in honor of Vallabhbhai Patel, the Iron Man of India, a lawyer turned political and social leader.

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The Statue of Unity is located near the Narmada Dam on the Narmada River and can be accessed through the cities of Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad. The site is open to tourists from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays to Sundays.

8 Spring Temple Buddha, China

The Spring Temple Buddha, when measured from the ground, stands at a total of 682 feet. But the statue has two structures below it, the Diamond Seat and the Sumera Seat, bolstering the statue with an additional 263 feet.

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In truth, the Spring Temple Buddha statue is only 420-feet tall, still good for the second tallest building in the world. The massive Buddha is located in the Henan Province, east of China and south of Beijing. Made of steel, copper, and more than 100 kilos of gold, the statue is a golden wonder that's, ironically, hidden from the rest of the world.

7 Ushiku Daibutsu, Japan

The Ushiku Daibutsu is another Buddhist statue and yet another towering structure on the islands of Japan. Shinran founded a sect of Buddhism in Japan and for this historic achievement, a statue was built in 1993. The Ushiku Daibutsu was erected in honor of Shinran's birth in the Ibaraki Prefecture, the city of Tsukuba in Japan. The statue is measured at 328 feet, but with the base and the Lotus platform, it's 394-feet tall. There's a tour for visitors and it includes a tour of The World of the Lotus Sanctuary, which houses 3,000 golden Buddha statues. Tsukuba is just north of Tokyo, at least 30-miles away from the nation's capital.

6 Rodina-Mat' Zovyot!, Russia

Before 1962, the city where this famous statue lies was known as Stalingrad, but since then it was changed to Volgograd. It's a historic city and was pivotal in the WWII end result. What looks like probably the most exciting statue in this list is owned by Russia, and its name is as exciting as the statue: The Motherland Calls!

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At 494-feet tall, it is probably the tallest statue of a woman in the world and she wields a big sword, too! The statue is located in the southwest of Russia, near the Ukraine and Georgia. This is arguably the most energetic-looking statue in the world.

5 Lingshan Grand Buddha, China

The Lingshan Grand Buddha is not only one of the tallest statues in the world, but it is also a legitimate tourist spot in Wuxi City, China. Aside from the 260-foot tall statue (plus the 29-foot lotus pedestal), a tourist can see other amazing spectacles in this wondrous place. Wuxi City is located in the eastern part of China and is near the city of Shanghai. A tour of the place would also offer a view of the Brahma Palace, the 100 Children Playing with Maitreya Buddha, the Nine Dragons Bathing Shakyamuni, and the self-proclaimed Largest Hand in the World.

4 Kita No Miyako Park Dai Kannon, Japan

The second Japanese Kannon in this article was constructed and finished around 30 years ago. Located in Hokkaido, the Kannon stands 289-feet tall and is right in the middle of a park. The park's name is Kita no Miyako and is located northwest of the city of Hokkaido. Hokkaido is one of the cities in the northernmost part of the archipelago of Japan. The Dai Kannon at Kita no Miyako Park is also referred to as the Hokkaido Kannon. It was recognized as the tallest statue in the world around the late eighties and very early nineties.

3 Laykyun Setkyar, Myanmar

The second tallest Buddha statue in the world stands 429 feet, including its podium base, and is called the Laykyun Setkyar. The statue itself has 31 levels inside, the number represents the stages of life (life cycle) as believed by the Buddhist religion. This statue is not lonely; it has a companion, the Reclining Buddha. Lying on the ground on its side, the Reclining Buddha is also huge at 331 feet. Both giant buddhas are located in Myanmar and can be found in Monywa. Monywa is a culture-rich city located far north of Naypyitaw, the capital city of the country.

2 Great Buddha, Thailand

Imagine a gargantuan golden statue in the middle of a green field in the countryside, wouldn't that be an amazing sight? Aptly named, the Great Buddha of Thailand is located in the province of Ang Thong in the southern part of Thailand.

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Ang Thong is just north of Bangkok, not 75 miles away from the famous tourist city. The Great Buddha is a golden statue that's 302-feet high and is constructed into how Buddha is generally seen, in the sitting position. This would have been the tallest statue in the world if the Buddha only stood up, wouldn't it?

1 Sendai Daikannon, Japan

The last statue in this list is the third Kannon statue located in Japan. We can also surmise that Buddhism is the religion that constructs enormous and extravagant statues after finishing this article. The Sendai Daikannon is another Buddhist statue of the goddess Bodhisattva that's in Japanese lands. This bright white towering statue stands 328-feet tall and acts like a religious guardian over the whole city of Sendai. This statue is one of the lesser-known statues tourist-wise, probably because the city it's in is far from any major city in Japan. Nonetheless, it's one of the tallest statues in the world and is worthy of a visit because of that fact alone.

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