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Statues of the world

China (19) India (17) Japan (12) Taiwan (6) Brazil (4) Malaysia (4) Mexico (3) Russia (3) Thailand (3) Bolivia (2) Hong Kong (2) Indonesia (2) Spain (2) USA (3) Vietnam (2) United Kingdom (1) Others (13)
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19

China

Summary

17
Religious

01
War

02
Other

08
Buddha

06
Guanyin

06
Other

China

Religious statues of Buddha and Guanyin, the godess of mercy, are China’s most popular types of statue. If all 19 statues in China over 30 metres were stacked one on top of the other, they would be 1.3 times the height of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest man-made structure
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Only self-supporting statues are profiled in this graphic. Statues carved on rocks and mountains or those under construction are not included

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The tallest statues in the world

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17

India

Summary

16
Religious

    00
    War

    01
    Other

    04
    Buddha

    05
    Hanuman

    08
    Other

    India

    With 17 over 30 metres, India ranks second in the world as a home to tall statues. The Statue of Unity in Gujarat was inaugurated on October 31, 2018 becoming the world’s tallest statue at 182 metres. It was completed after this story was published
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    12

    Japan

    Summary

    12
    Religious

      00
      War

        00
        Other

        01
        Buddha

        11
        Guanyin

          00
          Other

          Japan

          Kannon (the Japanese name for Guanyin) is the favourite theme for lofty statues in Japan, with 12 representations
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          06

          Taiwan

          Summary

          6
          Religious

            00
            War

              00
              Other

              04
              Buddha

              02
              Matzu

                00
                Other

                Taiwan

                Taiwan has six statues over 30 metres in height, all of them religious representations and most Buddhist
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                04

                Brazil

                Summary

                04
                Religious

                  00
                  War

                    00
                    Other

                    02
                    Virgin

                    01
                    Christ

                    01
                    Other

                    Brazil

                    Easy to recognise, Christ the Redeemer has become a symbol of Brazil itself. Perhaps surprisingly, it is not the only statue in Brazil of such commanding height
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                    04

                    Malaysia

                    Summary

                    03
                    Religious

                      00
                      War

                      01
                      Other

                      02
                      Buddha

                      01
                      Guanyin

                      01
                      Other

                      Malaysia

                      Four statues over the 30-metre mark can be found in Malaysia, three of which are religious representations. The Lord Murugan Statue, just outside Kuala Lumpur, is a tribute of friendship to Malaysia’s Indian community
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                      03

                      Mexico

                      Summary

                      01
                      Religious

                      01
                      War

                      01
                      Other

                      01
                      Christ

                      01
                      Warrior

                      01
                      Other

                      Mexico

                      There are three documented statues over 30 metres in Mexico, one dedicated to a religious theme, one to a Catholic priest who led the Mexican War of Independence and the last a 65-metre Mexican warrior dedicated to the native culture
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                      03

                      Russia

                      Summary

                        0
                        Religious

                        03
                        War

                          00
                          Other

                          01
                          Soldier

                          02
                          Other

                          Russia

                          Three very tall statues can be found in Russia, and all of them are related to war. One of the most iconic is the celebrated Mother Calls, built in commemoration of the Battle of Stalingrad. This is currently the tallest statue of a woman in the world
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                          03

                          Thailand

                          Summary

                          03
                          Religious

                            00
                            War

                              00
                              Other

                              03
                              Buddha

                              Thailand

                              There are three statues over 30 metres in Thailand, each dedicated to Buddha
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                              03

                              United States

                              Summary

                                00
                                Religious

                                  00
                                  War

                                  03
                                  other

                                    00
                                    Christ

                                    03
                                    Other

                                    USA

                                    An icon of the United States, the Statue of the Liberty is one of the world’s most familiar structures. But it has been dwarfed by the completion last year of the 110-metre Birth of a New World, a statue of Christopher Columbus, in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Another statue over 30 metres can be found in the southern state of Florida
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                                    02

                                    Bolivia

                                    Summary

                                    02
                                    Religious

                                      00
                                      War

                                        00
                                        other

                                        01
                                        Christ

                                        01
                                        Virgin

                                        Bolivia

                                        Located 120 km from each other, these two statues, dedicated to Christ and the Virgin Mary, reflect the importance of religious life in Bolivia
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                                        02

                                        Hong Kong

                                        Summary

                                        02
                                        Religious

                                          00
                                          War

                                            00
                                            other

                                            01
                                            Buddha

                                            01
                                            Guanyin

                                            Hong Kong

                                            The 33-metre tall Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha, was finished in 1993 and rises over the Nong Ping mountains on Lantau Island. Recently completed in the northern New Territories is a monumental statue standing 76 metres, dedicated to Guanyin
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                                            02

                                            Indonesia

                                            Summary

                                            01
                                            Religious

                                            01
                                            War

                                              00
                                              other

                                              01
                                              Christ

                                              01
                                              Other

                                              Indonesia

                                              There are two statues over 30 metres documented in Indonesia. One, known locally as Monjaya, is of a navy officer staring out to sea and represents the preparedness of the Indonesian navy. There is also a giant Christ statue in Citraland Park, Manado
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                                              02

                                              Spain

                                              Summary

                                              01
                                              Religious

                                                00
                                                War

                                                01
                                                other

                                                01
                                                Christ

                                                01
                                                Other

                                                Spain

                                                The Cristo del Otero statue of Christ in northern Spain was finished in 1931. Spain has one other tall statue, completed in 1995, dedicated to Christopher Columbus and located in Seville
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                                                02

                                                Vietnam

                                                Summary

                                                02
                                                Religious

                                                  00
                                                  War

                                                    00
                                                    other

                                                    01
                                                    Buddha

                                                    01
                                                    Guanyin

                                                    Vietnam

                                                    Vietnam has two known statues over 30 metres in height. They were finished just two years apart: the Guanyin in Da Nang completed in 2010 and the Buddha of Nha Trang in 2012
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                                                    01

                                                    United Kingdom

                                                    Summary

                                                      00
                                                      Religious

                                                        00
                                                        War

                                                        01
                                                        other

                                                        01
                                                        Other

                                                        United Kingdom

                                                        The Kelpies was finished in 2013, and erected in the Scottish town of Falkirk in 90 days. The building and conceptualisation began in 2005 however. The statue is named after the Scottish mythological shape-shifting water spirit, the kelpie
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                                                        13

                                                        Other statues

                                                        Summary

                                                        10
                                                        Religious

                                                        01
                                                        War

                                                        02
                                                        other

                                                        03
                                                        Buddha

                                                        03
                                                        Virgin

                                                        02
                                                        Shiva

                                                        05
                                                        Other

                                                        Other

                                                        There are 13 other countries which have statues over 30 metres tall, two in Latin America: Ecuador and Venezuela; three in Europe: France, Poland and Ukraine; two in Africa: Mauritius and Senegal; and six more in Asia: Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea and Sri Lanka
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                                                        China’s giant statues

                                                        This map shows the locations of all stand-alone statues over 30 metres tall and dates they were completed