Top 10 huge statues in the world

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Monuments, whether they were built specifically to commemorate a person or event, or they’ve simply become significant throughout history, are one of those things that tourists usually hunt during their travels.

Oftentimes, monuments are important from a historical point of view (and you might learn a thing or two, and boast to your fellow travelers later), or maybe they are just so impressive that you’ve got to see them. Regardless of your motives, here are the top 10  huge statues in the world, in case you want to visit them.

1. Ushiku Daibutsu, Japan

Ushiku Buddha

The daibutsu in Ushiku Japan, a statue representing the Amitabha Buddha, is one of the tallest man-made structures in the world. It towers at 394 feet, and it has a whopping weight of 4003 tons.

2. Buddhas of Bamiyan, Aghanistan

The impressive Buddha statues at Bamiyan, in central Afghanistan, have been destroyed by the Taliban in 2001, but since then, Japan and Switzerland have been working hard at rebuilding them. The sandstone statues are not the same as they were, but hopefully they will be completely rebuilt as soon as possible.

3. Mother Motherland, Kiev, Ukraine

The statue of the Motherland in Kiev was built to commemorate WWII. The statue (including its pedestal) is 102 meters high, and it weights more than 560 tons.

4. Guan Yin of the South Sea of Sanya, Hainan, China

The 108 meter statue of the bodhisattva Guan Yin is quite recent, as monuments go, but it is the fourth tallest statue in the world, and quite breath-taking to look at.

5. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Statue of Peter the Great

The statue of Christ on Corcovado mountain in Rio is probably the best known landmark of the city, and even Brazil, and it is the second largest art deco statue in the world.

6. Peter the Great Statue, Moscow, Russia

The statue dedicated to Peter the Great in Moscow (depicting the monarch on a ship that’s really too small for him), is the eight tallest statue in the world, but that’s not all: it was also voted the tenth ugliest statue in the world. The Moscow officials offered to relocate it to St. Petersburg, but the offer was refused.

7. Emperors Yan and Huang, Zhengzhou, Henan, China

At 106 meters, the twin statues depicting the faces of legendary emperors Huag and Yan are pretty impressive, and it took over 20 years to build the structure.

8. National Monument, Jakarta, Indonesia

Despite its rather boring name, the 132 meter tower in the center of Jakarta, Indonesia is a symbol of the country’s independence, and it has an interesting museum at its base. Also, the flame at the top of the tower is covered in gold foil.

9. African Renaissance Monument, Dakar, Senegal

The 49 meter bronze statue just outside Dakar is overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and although it is commemorating Senegal’s independence from France, the monument was criticized for being too expensive (and for its ‘Stalinist’ shape).

10. Veera Abhaya Anjaneya Hanuman Swami, Paritala, India

This statue depicts the Hindu god Hanuman, the monkey headed trickster god, and it is not only the tallest statue of Hanuman in the world, but the tallest statue in India as well.

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