Rising on a scenic hilltop in southern Phuket island is a 45m-tall Buddha which its builders see as an icon to match the statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking Rio de Janeiro, the Statue of Liberty in New York harbour or the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.The tallest Buddha in Thailand, it's made of concrete to be covered by Burmese white jade with a golden pinnacle, with some enthusiasts calling it a new wonder of the modern world.The statue's 6.72-hectare site affords panoramic views of the port town of Chalong, its beaches and pier, boats off the coast, surrounding rainforests and to the northwest, some of the beaches at resorts south of Patong and the Andaman Sea with its dozens of rocky islets.
One local guide has already described the Giant Buddha, which is costing 60 million baht (more than $NZ2.25 million), as Phuket's most important cultural icon - although its official opening is not scheduled until mid-2009.The complex, which will include a museum at ground level, has been hailed as a future major tourist attraction for Phuket - along with its beaches, resorts, island visits, boating, diving, snorkeling and other water sports and golf courses. Today the huge statue - 24.45m wide at the base - is surrounded by scaffolding but the Buddha's facial features can be seen, although partly obscured also by green cloth. The face was moulded in concrete on the ground as one huge mask divided into sections - to be replicated in white jade - then raised piece by piece along with the two long white ears. A bone fragment from the body of Buddha (563BC-483BC), one of many such relics in Buddhist shrines around Asia, has been promised by the temple for inclusion in the statue complex. The Giant Buddha dwarfs a 34m-high statue on Hong Kong's Lantau Island described as the world's largest and tallest outdoor seated Buddha. |
Less than 100m away in the shadow of its towering brother is an already-completed golden Buddha statue made of 22 tons of brass and standing 12.5m high. Thousands of Thai pilgrims each week now drive up a newly-upgraded road to the crest of 380m-high Nakkerd Hill to view progress on the Giant Buddha, to pray, chant and to enjoy the views, along with an increasing number of tourists of all (or no) religious persuasions. Monks from all Phuket's Buddhist temples supervise the work. They also hold a ceremony there at 10.30am on Saturdays. The Giant Buddha is being built with public donations on the hilltop land made available by its owner, businessman and prominent leading Buddhist Suporn Vanichkul, who is president of the Mingmongkoi Foundation formed to launch the five-year project. Khun (Mr) Suporn said donations towards the construction had been received from everywhere, from local companies and individuals, supporters in other Thailand provinces and overseas.
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Rain forest around Big Buddha |
