10 Amazing Places to See Buddha around The World

The Maha Bodhi Ta Htaung in the Monywa Township of Myanmar has literally thousands of statues of Buddha. The monastery is known for its two big Buddha images, the Reclining Buddha and the Giant Standing Buddha. The monastery is on the top of the hill and these images can be seen from far off places too. There is a large ground at the foothills where thousands of statues are seated under Bodhi trees. The Reclining Buddha statue is 90 meters long and 20 meters high. This big Buddha is dressed in a golden robe, and the image is a representation of the eve of Buddha’s death. The interior of this statue is hollow, and you can walk inside it. There are about 9000 small statues on display in the interior. The standing Buddha statue is 116 meters high high and you can enter into its interior also, in fact, you are allowed to climb nearly to the top of it. The interiors of this big Buddha depict mural paintings of Buddhist culture.

The grounds of this Buddha temple open daily from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Entrance tickets are US$3 per person.

This is a Buddha temple in Bhutan in the form of a gilded meditation hall with a giant statue on the top of it. The Buddha Dordenma statue is a depiction of the Shakyamuni Buddha in a sitting posture and has a height of 54 meters. This big Buddha has a brilliant golden appearance (is made of bronze) and sits on the top of a hill in Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan. This might look like any other Buddha statue, but this monument does hold an interesting secret. There are 125,000 miniature versions of Buddha inside this giant statue which many people don’t know about. The sizes of these miniatures range from 8 inches to 12 inches. Funnily enough, the population of Thimpu is 100,000 and so there are more Buddhas in the city than there are humans. The prophecy behind the construction of this statue was one given by Yogi Sonam Sangpo that building a Buddhist statue in the region would bring peace, blessings, and happiness to the whole world. This magnificent gilded statue attracts tourists and pilgrims from all over the world.

The opening timings of this temple are from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. Entrance is free of change.

The Giant Buddha of Leshan is a stone statue which is carved out of the face of a cliff at the confluence of Min and Dadu rivers. This 71-meter tall statue was built between the period of 713 AD to 803 AD and sits in Leshan city of the Sichuan province with utmost grace. This Buddha statue is a depiction of Maitreya, who is a Bodhisattva (someone who is able to reach Nirvana but gets delayed as he is trying to alleviate the sufferings of others first). The Maitreya Buddha is shown as a stout monk who is wearing a charming broad smile, sitting with his naked chest exposed. This statue is considered to be one of the most scenic spots of the city and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. The Giant Buddha of Leshan is the largest stone-carved Buddha statue in the world, with its length being 71 meters and width being 24 meters.

The opening hours are from 9:00 am to 4:50 pm, and one day would be sufficient time for a visit. The entrance fee is CNY80. If you want to take a boat trip there, an extra fee of CNY70 will be charged.

The Ushiku Daibutsu is located near the city of Tsukuba in the Ibaraki Prefecture of Japan. This bronze Buddha statue held the Guinness World Record for being the tallest Buddha statue in the world from 1993 to 2008. Its total height is 120 meters (38 storeys) and holds a place in the top 5 tallest statues in the world today. This total height is inclusive of a base of 10-meter height and a lotus platform which is also 10 meters high. You can get a ride on an elevator to get to the viewing gallery which is at a height of 85 meters, and the views from there are unarguably spectacular. On a non- cloudy day you can even see the Tokyo Sky-tree from there which is as far as 70 kilometers! There are beautiful gardens around the statue which have full-bloomed flowers in seasons which visitors are allowed to take home too.

The opening hours on weekdays is from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. On Saturdays and Sundays, the opening hours are extended to 5:00 pm. The entrance fee is about JPY700-800 per person, and it sometimes varies as per the visiting season.

The Lingshan Giant Buddha is a yet another majestic Buddha statue which is 88 meters tall. The statue is located in the southwestern part of in China. The entire Mount Lingshan is considered to be a Buddhist wonderland that attracts pilgrims and tourists from all over the world throughout the year. The park has an area of 74 acres and has other attractions apart from the Great Buddha like the Brahma Palace, Five Mudra Mandala, Nine Dragons Bathing Sakyamuni, and Xiangfu Temple among others. About one day’s time would be considered sufficient to explore this site which is a hotspot for Buddhist culture. To reach the Great Buddha, you have to first climb about 216 stairs, which stand for 108 troubles and 108 wishes. These stairs are divided among sets of 7 rising platforms which are a representation of different levels of the 7 storey stupa. There is also a hexagonal well which you would encounter in your way is in today’s time regarded as among the ten most famous springs of South China. The facility of tourist guides is also available here which will help you understand certain more intricate details of the place which an untrained mind wouldn’t know.

The opening hours are from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm and the entrance fee here is CNY210.

The Daibutsu of Kamakura is a huge Buddha statue that dates back to the mid 13th century (around 1252) and is considered to be among the most fascinating historical landmarks in the country of Japan. The name of this temple is Kotuku-in, located in the city of Kamakura which is a part of the Kanagawa Prefecture. The Great Buddha representation is made up of bronze and depicts the Amida form of Buddha. The statue was originally gold plated and after all these years in the open, it still retains some gold leaf traces around its ears. This Buddha statue is the second largest in Japan and has a weight of about 121 tons. You can also visit the interior of the monument by paying an extra charge of JPY20 (in addition to the entrance fee) and can see the casting of the statue from inside. The Buddha is in a seated posture and signifies the utmost elegance and positivity.

The opening hours to visit this place are from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm (April to September). In the months of October to March, the timings are shortened up to 5:00 pm. The entrance fee per adult is JPY200.

The Gal Vihara is a Buddhist temple situated at Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. It is a World Heritage Site and is considered to be a perfect specimen- Buddha statue to be carved out of stone. The statue was carved out in the 12th century under the reign of Raja Parakrabahu. The temple is in the form of a cave complex that has a length of 27 meters and a height of 10 meters. The shrine is dedicated to the Theravada sect of Buddhism and the temple is said to be influenced by Mahayana Buddhism mainly. There are multiple Buddha images in different caves, like the standing Buddha, reclining Buddha, etc. This stone shrine attracts a lot of visitors yearly and is an epitome of Buddhist architecture in the region. The 3 main Buddha images have huge proportions and look highly attractive. The carvings are such that you can actually sense the serenity in the facial expressions or the flow of the robe of Buddha which is why the images of gal Vihara are so much widely appreciated.

The ruins of Polonnaruwa are open to visit 24 hours, and the entrance fee to the ruins is US$25 per person.

Milei Vencel (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Vinh Trang Pagoda which is located in the Mekong Delta Region of Veitnam is a place which ought not to be missed. This temple has more than 2 acres of beautiful gardens that even have fruit orchards. The rather popular Laughing Buddha of the pagoda sits on a pedestal and smiles at the pilgrims and visitors. This Buddha statue is completely white in color and looks like it is made of perfectly gilded marble. The main hall of the pagoda also houses multiple statues of Buddha of different forms which are intricately decorated. The temple is at a short distance of about 1- 2 km from the center of the city. The decorations look exquisite and the colors used throughout the area of the pagoda are vibrant and eye-catching. The pagoda has also been considered a national and historic relic by the Vietnamese government.

The opening hours of the Vinh Trang Temple are from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and the entry to the pagoda is free of charge.

The Buddha statue of Wat Pho temple in Bangkok is known around the world as the reclining Buddha of Thailand. This Buddha statue is the largest in Thailand and is of magnificent golden color. The temple also houses a Bodhi tree which is supposed to have been grown from a part of the original Bodhi tree of Bodh Gaya where the Buddha received enlightenment. The reclining form of Buddha is symbolic of his last days on earth when he was ill before he died. The Buddha statue lies on its right side with the head resting on the right elbow. The Wat Pho temple was among the first which incorporated a reclining form of Buddha. All of this makes the temple a must-visit site for anyone in the city of Bangkok. Apart from the Buddha statue, simply roaming around on the premises is also a relaxing getaway from the noisiness of the outside world.

The opening hours of the temple are from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm and the entrance fee is THB100. You can also have a massage for an extra THB480.

The Guan Yin of the Nanshan Temple in Sanya, China is a 108 meter tall Buddha statue situated on the southern coast of China. The statue has 3 faces, one of which faces inland. The other two faces of Guan Yin look towards the South China Sea. The Buddha depicted in the statue is a Bodhisattva who holds a peaceful and calm posture, one who alleviates the humankind of its sufferings. The height of 108 meters is a planned effort and not a mere accident, as the number 108 holds a special place in the Buddhist culture. The magnificent white statue standing at the end of the land and facing the ocean looks amazingly beautiful and a bit unusual due to the three- aspect structure. The statue symbolizes complete protection of the country from any external threats which may arise. The Nanshan temple attracts a lot of visitors who flock just to see the brilliant sight of the Guan Yin Bodhisattva.

The opening hours for the Nanshan temple are from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm, and a time of 2-3 hours would be more than sufficient to fully explore the temple. The entrance fee per person is CNY129 from October to April, and CNY108 from May to September. For children 1.2 to 1.4 meters tall, the entrance fee is half-price. Entry is free for children under 1.2 meters tall.