Big Buddhas
Donated by the Chinese and built by Thai, this 54 m tall buddha is some impressive sight. It's made in bronze, gilded in gold, and hold no less than 125,000 smaller Buddha statues. Though it's the tallest buddha statue in Bhutan, it is a dwarf compared to the world's tallest Buddha statue in China, which reach 128 m into the sky. The view from the base over Thimphu valley is almost equal impressive.
On top of Phnom Kulen sits Preah Ang Thom, a 16th century Buddhist monastery famous for its giant reclining Buddha, one of Cambodia’s largest. The Buddha is carved into the top of the huge sandstone boulder upon which the temple is built. The view from up there is equally magnificent.
When you come to Leshan and see the Giant Buddha, you do not doubt the fact that it is the tallest Buddha in the world. At 71 m tall he sits, carved out of the rock face where the Dadu river meets the Min river. The construction started 713 AD and it took more than 90 years to finish him. So if you come to Chengdu, swing by for a visit, for it is one of those sights that fully live up to their reputation. Just do not come on a holiday, where half of Chengdu seems to be out here.
This four stories temple was built in 2007 in traditional Tang dynasty architectural style and costed S$62 million. There is several halls and Buddhas everywhere, but the main sight is the tooth relic of the historical Buddha on the 4th floor. It is kept inside a two-metre stupa made of 320 kg of pure gold. Only monks are allowed inside the chamber, but there is a public viewing area. Continuing up to the roof, there is a pagoda with a large prayer wheel. The entrance is free.
Being 46 m long and 15 mtall not only makes the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho an impressive sight, but also the biggest Buddha in Thailand. Though only gold plated, and not solid gold, it is still pretty shinny with mother-of-pearl in the eyes and on the soles of his gigantic feet. The Wat Pho itself is the largest wat in Bangkok and is dating back to the late 18th century, though the Buddha was first added in the first part of the 19th century. The Wat Pho complex also contains over a thousand other Buddha images, an active monastery and a massage school for those that are a bit templed-out.