10 of the world’s most impressive giant Buddha statues

Impressive as the giant standing Buddha of Bongeunsa Temple is, it is the setting that makes it truly memorable. Gazing out serenely across the modern skyline of central Seoul, it is a beacon of stillness and peace in an increasingly hectic world.

Founded in 794, the temple has survived fire and war and the encroachment of the city. As well as its famous Buddha, the temple is also renowned for its unique ‘Temple Stay Program’, in which visitors can stay in the temple and lead the life of a monk.

Made of bronze and gilded with gold, the Buddha Dordenma sits atop a hill in Kuenselphodrang Nature Park, overlooking the Southern entrance to Thimphu Valley in Bhutan. It was built to fulfil an ancient prophecy that stated that once a statue was built on this site, an aura of peace and happiness would spread across the entire world.

That hasn’t quite happened yet, but in the meantime, you can check out the 120,000 smaller Buddhas enshrined inside it.

Located in Ta Shu of Kaohsiung City, Fo Guan Shan Monastery is the biggest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. It’s the headquarters of a new religious movement, founded in 1967, that promotes a new form of Humanistic Buddhism.

The monastery covers more than 30 hectares and includes a university and various shrines, with the complex dominated by a 36-metre tall statue of the Amitabha Buddha.

Carved into the face of a granite boulder, the Gal Viharaya is considered one of the most beautiful representations of the Buddha in the world.

You’ll find it in north central Sri Lanka, in Polonnaruwa, a massive stone temple that was the centrepiece of a fabulous garden-city built by Parakramabahu the Great in the 12th century.

Standing more than 88 metres high, the Great Buddha at Ling Shan is a bronze Amitabha Buddha. It was completed at the end of 1996, at which time it was the tallest Buddha statue in the world, and weighs over 700 tons. To reach it, you need to climb 99 steps.

Deep in the Longshan Mountains, the statue is the centrepiece of a Buddhist theme park that includes Brahma Palace, Five Mudra Mandala, Nine Dragons Bathing Sakyamuni and Xiangfu Temple. It is best visited in autumn, when the trees and the mountains are a riot of different autumnal colours.

Whether covered in snow or prettily framed by cherry blossoms, the giant Daibutsu of Kamakura, sits serenely in the south of Japan with his eyes closed, desperately trying to block out the world.

And who can blame him? Since being cast in bronze in 1252, he has survived everything that nature has thrown at him, including a tsunami in the 15^th century that washed away the temple that housed him.

Gazing serenely over the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in Sichuan province, the Giant Buddha of Leshan is one of the most popular tourist spots in China.

Carved on the side of a cliff in 713BC, the statue was the idea of a monk called Haithong, who hoped the statue would guide shipping vessels through the rivers’ treacherous currents. Sadly, he ran out of funds and the statue wasn’t completed until 90 years later.

Wat Pho in Bangkok is a temple of superlatives. It is one of the largest and oldest temples in Bangkok, boasting the largest number of Buddha images in the country, and it houses the largest reclining Buddha in Thailand.

The gold-plated Reclining Buddha statue is 46 metres long and 15 metres high. Its eyes and feet are decorated with engraved mother of pearl and the soles of the feet display the 108 auspicious characteristics of the true Buddha.

The laughing Buddha is popular in homes and with children in Vietnam. He is famous for his big grin and even bigger belly, but it is rare you to see this incarnation of Buddha writ large.

When you do, the effect can be a little unnerving. To all intents and purposes, the Vĩnh Tràng Pagoda in Mỹ Tho is your typical Buddhist temple­: serene, silent, worshipful. But that is shattered when you stand before the giant laughing Buddha, you can’t help but laugh out loud, which is perhaps its purpose.