The world’s most monumental statues: focus on 34 of the tallest, largest and most important statues on earth!
We often find ourselves admiring the Earth’s greatest geological features, from the summit of Mount Everest to the world’s largest cave. But humanity has also left its own colossal structures.
Built to commemorate unforgettable historical figures, deities or events, these massive monuments and statues can be found all over the planet. Discover these gigantic statues that define the word « monumental » in 34 photos.
1. God Murugan (Kârttikeya) in front of the Batu caves, Malaysia
Constructed from 250 tons of steel, 1,550 cubic meters of concrete and 300 liters of gold paint, the statue of the god Murugan at the entrance to the Batu caves is the largest statue of a Hindu god in Malaysia. In 2006, the statue was unveiled during the Thaipusam festival.
2. Buddha of the Spring Temple, Henan, China
The Source Temple Buddha is the world’s tallest statue to date, standing 128 metres high. A Buddhist monastery lies beneath the statue, which is constructed from around 1,100 pieces of copper. The whole weighs over 1000 tonnes.
3. Cristo de la Concordia, Cochabamba, Bolivia
The Bolivian statue of Jesus Christ with outstretched arms measures 40.44 meters when the base is included. Reminiscent of Rio’s famous Christ the Redeemer, the statue leads visitors to an observation area at the top of the 1,399 steps in the statue’s arms (accessible only on Sundays).
4. Samantabhadra Bodhisattva statue on Mount Emei, China
Completed in 2006, the Samantabhadra Bodhisattva is a 48-metre, ten-headed bodhisattva seated on a four-headed, six-tusked elephant. The base of the statue also serves as a temple. Devotees can enter, pray and make offerings.
5. Statue of the Motherland (Rodina-Mat zovyot!) in Volgograd, Russia
Rodina-Mat zovyot! (« Call of the Motherland! » in French) is considered a feat of engineering due to the statue’s extended posture. When it was completed in 1967, it was the largest statue in the world. It weighs 7,900 tonnes.
6. Great Buddha of Thailand, Ang Thong, Thailand
The largest statue in Thailand, the Great Buddha of Thailand is 92 meters high (the same size as the Statue of Liberty if you include its base). Construction began in 1990, but was not completed until 2008. The statue is made of cement and coated with a layer of gold paint.
7. Cross of the Valle de los Caídos, Madrid, Spain
At 152 meters high, this cross stands atop an immense underground basilica carved into a granite ridge in the Sierra de Guadarrama. To complete the complex, a Benedictine abbey stands on the opposite side of the mountain.
Representing a worker passing a sword to a warrior, this statue is 15 meters high. Completed in 1979, the statue is part of a « sword triptych » with the Motherland in Volgograd and the Warrior Liberator in Berlin.
9. Guanyin, Marine Goddess of Mercy, Sanya, China
The statue of Guanyin is 108 meters high, making it the fourth largest statue on Earth to date. It has three faces: two facing the sea, the last facing the land. The statue took six years to build.
10. Great Buddha of Leshan, Mount Emei, China
Construction of the 71-meter-high Great Buddha of Leshan was led by a Buddhist monk named Haitong in the 700s. When funding for the project was threatened, it is reported that he gouged out his own eyes to prove his piety and sincerity.
11. Equestrian statue of Genghis Khan, Erdene, Mongolia
The 40-metre-high equestrian statue of Genghis Khan stands on the banks of the River Tula, 54 km east of the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar. Visitors can walk right up to the horse’s head through the statue’s chest and neck.
Another statue of the Hindu god Shiva (the third highest, at 33 meters), which stands on Lake Ganga Talao, was inaugurated in 2007. Mangal Mahadev is a replica of a Shiva statue at Lake Sursagar in Vadodara, India.
13. Mansudae Hill, Pyongyang, North Korea
Originally comprising one statue, that of Kim Il-Sung, the site was enlarged to include a statue of Kim Jong-il in 2012, after the leader’s death. At twenty meters in height, the original was completed in 1972. Photographers are required to photograph the whole statue (not just parts of it) in order to « avoid offending ».
14. The Sentosa Merlion, Sentosa Island, Singapore
An oversized replica of the Singapore Merlion, a mythological lion-headed fish, the Sentosa Merlion stands 37 meters tall. In Singapore, the creature is considered a national emblem. Singapore takes its name from a Malay word meaning « city of the lion ».
15. African Renaissance Monument, Dakar, Senegal
Measuring 49 meters high, the African Renaissance Monument depicts a man and a woman, with a child held in the man’s left arm (the child points west). The giant statue, which cost $27 million and took four years to complete, generated much controversy during its construction.
16. Guardian of the Valleys, Aberbeeg, South Wales
Guardian of the Valleys is a 20-meter statue that stands near Six Bells Colliery, a coal mine in Wales. It was built in 2010 to commemorate the 1960 disaster, in which an explosion killed 45 men working in the mine. The statue is made up of thousands of steel ribbons.
Measuring 29 meters, a statue of Erawan (also known as Airavata) forms the Erawan Museum. Erawan, the god-king of elephants, is represented with three heads. The museum is divided into three parts (or worlds), containing artifacts and relics.
18. The statue of Mevlana, Izmir, Turkey
Including its foundation, the statue of Mevlana Rumi (a 13th-century mystic philosopher, poet and theologian) stands 20 meters high. A café is located beneath the statue, which was designed and built by sculptor Eray Okkan.
19. Laykyun Setkyar, Monywa, Burma.
This is one of the world’s tallest statues, standing 116 metres high. The statue, representing Gautama Buddha, took almost 12 years to build. Two smaller (but considerable) Buddhas stand nearby.
The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the United States from France. The 46-meter statue is visited by over 3 million people a year. It has developed a green patina due to copper oxidation.
21. Statue of Thiruvalluvar, Kânyâkumârî, India
Kanyakumari is home to a 40-meter statue of Thiruvalluvar, an ancient Tamil poet and philosopher. The total height of the statue and pedestal is 133 feet (40.5 meters), signifying the 133 chapters of the Tirukkuṟaḷ (Thiruvalluvar’s classic book).
22. Hermannsdenkmal, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
The 53-meter statue of Cherusque warlord Arminius attracts over 130,000 visitors a year to the southern region of the Teutberg Forest. The sword reads (translated): « German unity (is) my strength – my strength (is) the power of Germany. »
23. Statue of the God Shiva, Murudeshwar, India
Murudeshwara, another name for the Hindu god Shiva, is the city in which this 37-meter statue is located. The statue is the second-highest of Shiva in the world, costing around 50 million rupees to build.
24. Ushiku Daibutsu, Ushiku, Japan
One of the world’s tallest statues, Ushiku Daibutsu weighs 4,003 tons and is 120 metres high. The bronze statue is so large that it contains four levels (essentially serving as a museum) and an elevator that takes visitors up to 85 metres to an observation platform.
25. Vulcan statue, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
At 17 meters high, the Vulcan statue is the largest cast-iron statue in the world. It was originally created to represent Birmingham at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, better known as the 1904 International Fair.
26. Monument to Lapu-Lapu (King of Mactan), Lapu-Lapu, Philippines
Built in bronze and standing 20 meters high, the shrine represents Lapu-Lapu, the indigenous chief who defeated Fernando de Magellan’s soldiers in 1521 at the Battle of Mactan. Magellan was later killed after the battle. The shrine supposedly stands where the battle took place.
27. Vishnu statue, Bali, Indonesia
A 23-metre-high statue of Vishnu stands in Garuda Wisnu Kencana, a cultural park at the southern tip of Bali. A large statue of Garuda, the mythical bird and king of Mount Vishnu, also resides in the park.
28. Dream, St Helens, England
No, your eyes won’t fail you. Dream in St Helens is a monumental 20-metre sculpture by artist Jaume Plensa depicting the face of a young girl with closed eyes. The statue was erected at the top of a coal mine, contrasting with its white color.
29. Sam Houston statue, Huntsville, Texas, USA
This 20-meter statue of Sam Houston, an American soldier and politician known for his efforts to bring independence and statehood to Texas, stands in Huntsville, Texas. The statue is called « Tribute to Courage ». Travelers on Interstate 45 can easily see the statue as they pass.
30. Mao Zedong, Changsha, China
The monument to Mao Zedong’s face was built in 2009 and stands 32 meters high. Representing Chairman Mao at the age of 32 (circa 1925), the statue is said to have cost $35 million to build.
31. Reunification Arch, Pyongyang, North Korea
The Reunification Arch was built to recognize and commemorate Kim Il-sung’s proposal for the reunification of Korea. Made of concrete and depicting two women holding a sphere together, it stands above the Pyongyang-Kaesong highway known as the « Reunification Highway », which leads to the Demilitarized Zone.
32. Christ Blessing Statue, Manado, Indonesia
Designed by an Indian property developer, Christ Blessing stands 50 meters tall. It took three years to build the statue, which cost around 5 billion rupiah. The fiber and steel structure bends at 20 degrees, giving the impression that Christ is flying.
33. Emperors Yan and Huang, Zhengzhou, China
The Yan and Huang Emperors stand 106 meters tall. The statues represent Yandi and Huángdì, two of China’s earliest emperors. The two emperors are arguably the largest facial sculptures in the world. Construction began in 1987, took 20 years and was completed in 2007.
34. Statue of the Motherland, Kiev, Ukraine
Flickr – Jorge Láscar
« Rodina-Mat » is a 62-metre stainless steel statue of the Motherland. It was designed by Evgeny Voutchetitch. It is part of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Kiev.
Did you know about all these huge statues and monuments?
