Monumental

There are statues around the world used to depict great figures in history. These can be used to remember, pray to, or just admire, but which of these great monuments is the largest?

You might say that the largest is Christ The Redeemer, how about The Motherland Calls or even the Statue of Liberty. These are great figures in their own way but are nothing in comparison to The Spring Temple Buddha.

Standing at a height of 128m, this enormous figure overlooks Lushan County, Henan, China which sits upon a monastery making the top of it around 153m from the base of the pedestal it sits. To put the height into perspective, the statue of Christ The Redeemer that overlooks the Brazilian city of Rio de Janiero is 40m tall including its pedestal and The Statue Of Liberty is 93m from ground to torch.

Construction of The Spring Temple Buddha ended in 2002 at a cost of around $55m (£34m/ €42.7m). It was built after the Bamiyan Buddhas were bombed and driven out of Afghanistan by the Taliban. China supports the Buddhist culture and condemns Afghanistan for driving them away. The status gets its name from a local spring that produces water at 60°C and is said to have curable qualities.