Grand statues around the world
Please view these wonderful large statues built around the world. They commemorate something close to people’s hearts. Something that brings hope, inspiration or a reminder of something people wish to aspire to. The human spirit is uplifted when they see something that gives meaning to them in large splendour. I hope you will be blessed by some of these images and I wish you blessings always.
Tsem Rinpoche
- List of Statues
- China (1-5)
- Thailand (6-10)
- Thailand (11-15)
- Thailand (16-19)
- Japan (20-24)
- Other Countries (25-30)
List of Statues
China (1-5)
- Buddha Maitreya, Guyuan
- Manjushri, Mount Wutai
- Grand Buddha, Ling Shan
- Giant Buddha, Leshan
- Tian Tan Buddha, Ngong Ping
Click here to go to China (1-5)
Thailand (6-10)
- Seated Buddha, Wat Phikun Thong
- Phra Puttha Sothon, Wat Bot
- Phra Buddha Sambuddho, Wat Khao Lao
- Phra Mae Kuan Im, Wat Bang Riang
- Phra Nak Prok, Wat Bang Riang
Click here to go to Thailand (6-10)
Thailand (11-15)
- Phra Buddha Chaturatit Ming Mongkol at Wat Doi Sapphanyu
- Reclining Buddha, Wat Hat Yai Nai
- Sitting Buddha, Wat Phutthathiwat
- Phra Sakol Simamongkol, Wat Theppitak Punnaram
- Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj, Hat Yai Municipal Park
Click here to go to Thailand (11-15)
Thailand (16-19)
- Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Akenakiri, Phuket
- Golden Buddha, Tiger Cave Temple
- Big Buddha Statue, Wat Klang Bang Phra
- Phra Pratan Thammachaleomprakiat, Wat Phrachao Lai
Click here to go to Thailand (16-19)
Japan (20-24)
- Ushiku Daibutsu, Ushiku
- Dai Kannon, Sendai
- Dai Kannon, Kita no Miyako Park
- Bhaisajyaguru, Nihon-Ji Temple
- The Reclining Buddha, Nanzoin Temple
Click here to go to Japan (20-24)
Other Countries (25-30)
- Great Buddha Dordenma, Thimphu
- Peraliya Buddha, Tsunami Memorial
- Seated Buddha, Linh Phong Zen Temple
- Amitabha, Fansipan Mountain
- Pakse Golden Buddha, Wat Phou Salao
- Buddha of Mahamongkol Chai Dhamma Temple Complex
Click here to go to Other Countries (25-30)
1. Buddha Maitreya at Guyuan
Height: 72 feet (22 metres)
Location: Guyuan, Ningxia
Country: China
This Buddha Maitreya statue is one of the many Buddha statues found in Xumi Grottoes in Ningxia, Northwest China. The construction of the approximately 130 grottoes spans five dynastic eras, from the Northern Wei (386-534 CE) to the Tang (618-906 CE).
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2. Manjushri at Mount Wutai
Height: 9.2 feet (2.8 metres), excluding the base
Location: Mount Wutai
Country: China
Mount Wutai, also known by its Chinese name Wutaishan and Qingliangshan (Mount Qingliang) is a sacred Buddhist site at the headwaters of Qingshui in Shanxi Province, China. Its central area is surrounded by a cluster of broad and plain terraces roughly corresponding to the cardinal directions. Since ancient times, Mount Wutai has developed a reputation as a sacred and mystical site inhabited by divine beings, especially Bodhisattva Manjushri and this notion is accompanied by stories of miraculous events even up to the present day.
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3. Grand Buddha of Ling Shan
Height: 288 feet (88 metres)
Location: Wuxi, Jiangsu
Country: China
The Grand Buddha of Ling Shan is located at the south of the Longshan Mountain in Jiangsu Province, a coastal Chinese province north of Shanghai, China. It is one of the largest Buddha statues in China and also in the world. This Buddha statue is a bronze standing Amitabha, weighing over 700 tons and was completed at the end of 1996.
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4. Giant Buddha at Leshan
Height: 233 feet (71 metres)
Location: Leshan, Sichuan
Country: China
The Leshan Giant Buddha is a 233 feet (71 metres) tall stone statue, built between the year 713 CE and 803 CE during the Tang Dynasty. It depicts Buddha Maitreya and was carved out of a cliff face of Cretaceous red bed sandstones at the confluence of the Min River and Dadu River in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan.
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5. Tian Tan Buddha at Ngong Ping
Height: 112 feet (34 metres)
Location: Lantau Island, Hong Kong
Country: China
The Tian Tan Buddha at Po Lin Monastery, Ngong Ping is 112 feet (34 metres) tall, weighs over 250 metric tons, and was constructed from 202 bronze pieces. Visitors have to climb 268 steps to reach the Buddha. The Buddha’s right hand is raised, representing protection, peace, and the dispelling of fear while the left hand rests open on his lap in a gesture of charity, compassion and boon-granting. This Buddha statue took 12 years to complete and was erected in 1993. It faces north to look over the Chinese people and draws pilgrims from all around the world.
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6. Seated Buddha at Wat Phikun Thong
Height: 138 feet (42 metres)
Location: Tha Chang, Singburi
Country: Thailand
Wat Phikun Thong is an important Buddhist monastery on the east bank of the Chao Phraya Noi River in Tha Chang district of Singburi province, one of the central provinces in Thailand. The 138 feet (42 metres) sitting Buddha statue here is the largest in Thailand, made of concrete and decorated with gold mosaic.
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7. Phra Puttha Sothon at Wat Bot
Height: 121 feet (37 metres)
Location: Pathumtani
Country: Thailand
This historical temple was constructed by the Mon ethnic minority group who migrated from Pegu, Burma. This large Buddha was made based on a very revered Buddha image in Thailand, the Luang Pho Sothon, that is kept in Wat Sothon in Chachoengsao. Apart from paying respect to Luang Pho Sothon and the three Buddha images in the shrine hall, devotees also visit the temple to make offerings and prayers to the cast statue of Luangpu Thian, a highly knowledgeable senior monk who was also an advocate for education.
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8. Phra Buddha Sambuddho at Wat Khao Lao
Height: 79 feet (24 metres)
Location: Ratchaburi
Country: Thailand
Wat Khao Lao was built around 400 years ago. You can still see the remains of the original bricks at the base of the temple and the old pagoda today. This Buddha has the mudra (hand gesture) of Dharmachakra, which is the gesture of teaching the Dharma, quite rare amongst large Buddhas in Thailand. This Buddha statue is also very special because its golden appearance is not from gold paint or gold leaf, but rather made with small uniform ceramic tiles on the statue.
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9. Phra Mae Kuan Im at Wat Bang Riang
Height: 46 feet (14 metres)
Location: Phang Nga
Country: Thailand
This statue of Goddess Kuan Im is located at Wat Bang Riang, a beautiful hilltop temple located on Khao Lan Mountain, southern Thailand. Kuan Im (or known as Guan Yin, Kuan Yin) is the Goddess of Compassion and Mercy, who may possibly be the most popular Goddess being worshipped among Buddhists in Asia. Many Thais believe that Kuan Im brings them good luck and prosperity.
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10. Phra Nak Prok at Wat Bang Riang
Height: 92 feet (28 metres)
Location: Phang Nga
Country: Thailand
Wat Bang Riang is a beautiful hilltop temple located on Khao Lan Mountain, southern Thailand. This statue depicts Mucalinda, the mighty King of Serpents who came from beneath the earth and provided the Buddha shelter from the rain with his hood after the Buddha’s enlightenment. In Thailand, Phra Nak Prok is known for its effectiveness for protection against disasters and prosperity of careers.
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11. Phra Buddha Chaturatit Ming Mongkol at Wat Doi Sapphanyu
Height: 164 feet (50 metres)
Location: Chiang Mai
Country: Thailand
This special four-direction standing Buddha is a must-visit attraction if you are in the area. Wat Doi Sapphanyu is located at Huay Niam, Chiang Mai. It used to be an abandoned temple named Bo Tib Temple (Nam Bo Thip). In the year 1994, Phra Ratcharat Rattanakorn, the former abbot of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and a few others joined together to restore this abandoned temple and made it an active temple again.
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12. Reclining Buddha at Wat Hat Yai Nai
Length: 115 feet (35 metres); Height: 49 feet (15 metres); Width: 33 feet (10 metres)
Location: Khuan Lang
Country: Thailand
Located on Phetkasem Road near Khlong U Taphao Bridge in Hat Yai, south of Thailand, this temple is home of Phra Phuttha Hattha Mongkhon, believed to be the third largest reclining Buddha in the world at 35-metre long, 15-metre tall and 10-metre wide, which is highly revered by both Thai and foreign tourists.
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13. Sitting Buddha at Wat Phutthathiwat
Height: 47 feet (14.3 metres)
Location: Yala
Country: Thailand
This large Sitting Buddha, also known as Phra Phuttha Dhammakai Mongkol Prayun Kesanonsupphithan is located in Yala, southern Thailand. The statue was built to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Her Majesty the Queen’s 60th Birthday Anniversary. Wat Phutthathiwat is also famous for its outstanding pagoda, Phra That Chedi Phra Phuttha Dhamma Prakat with beautiful artistry in the applied Si Wichai style.
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14. Phra Sakol Simamongkol at Wat Theppitak Punnaram
Height: 148 feet (45 metres)
Location: Nakhon Ratchasima
Country: Thailand
This beautiful statue is located in Phaya Yen, Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast of Thailand. The total of 1,250 steps of the two paths, left and right leading uphill to the statue signify the number of disciples of Lord Buddha who assembled on Magha Puja Day without prior notice. The height of the statue in metres actually represents the number of years the Buddha spent in teaching the Dharma after he had attained enlightenment.
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15. Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj at Hat Yai Municipal Park
Height: 65.3 feet (19.9 metres)
Location: Hat Yai, Songkhla
Country: Thailand
The most respected Buddha image in Hat Yai, south of Thailand is Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj. This Standing Buddha is on a hilltop at the Hat Yai Municipal Park, a large recreational park-cum-tourist attraction to the east of Hat Yai City in Thailand. This statue was said to be the tallest standing Buddha statue in Southern Thailand.
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16. Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Akenakiri in Phuket
Height: 148 feet (45 metres)
Location: Phuket
Country: Thailand
Phuket Big Buddha, or The Great Buddha of Phuket, is a seated Maravija Buddha statue in Phuket, Thailand. Known among the Thais as the Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Akenakiri, the main statue was built in 2004 and is 82 feet (25 metres) across at the base. The whole body is constructed with reinforced concrete, layered with beautiful Burmese white jade marble that shines in the sun.
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17. Golden Buddha at Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Sua)
Height: 65 feet (20 metres)
Location: Krabi
Country: Thailand
Wat Tham Sua (Tiger Cave Temple) Or “Tiger Cave” is located about 1.86 miles (3 kilometres) from Krabi Town, south of Thailand. Inside the cave, there are what appear to be tiger paw prints in the stone. To reach the Golden Buddha, one has to manage some steep stairs with no less than 1237 steps.
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18. Big Buddha Statue at Wat Klang Bang Phra
Height: 99 feet (30 metres)
Location: Nakhon Pathom
Country: Thailand
Located in Nakhon Pathom province, one of the central provinces in Thailand, this large Buddha statue is called Luang Pho Somwang. It is made of bricks with mosaic tiles, built by Phra Kru Sunthorn Wuttikun (Luang Por Putt Suntharo) in 1981.
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19. Phra Pratan Thammachaleomprakiat at Wat Phrachao Lai
Height: 160 feet (49 metres)
Location: Chiang Rai
Country: Thailand
Wat Phrachao Lai is building a 109 meters tall Buddha and has built a replica of 62 feet (19 metres) wide and 160 feet (49 metres) tall in the interim. This temple is famous for its pagoda, which was discovered by a group of monks. Later, a new pagoda was built to cover the old one. Many locals revere the pagoda as they have reported seeing a shiny crystal ball appearing from the pagoda on many Buddhist holy days. The pagoda is 82 feet (25 meters) wide and 160 feet (49 metres) in height.
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20. Ushiku Daibutsu of Ushiku
Height: 390 feet (120 metres)
Location: Ibaraki Prefecture
Country: Japan
Ushiku Daibutsu is a statue located in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture, about 93 miles (150 kilometres) northeast of Tokyo, Japan. Completed in 1993, it stands at 390 feet (120 metres) tall, including the 33 feet (10 metres) base and 33 feet (10 metres) lotus platform.
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21. Dai Kannon of Sendai
Height: 328 feet (100 metres)
Location: Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Country: Japan
Sendai Daikannon is a large statue in the form of the gem-bearing Nyoirin Kannon (Wish-fulling Guan Yin), located in Sendai, Japan. It is the tallest statue of Nyoirin Kannon in the world, and the tallest statue of a goddess in Japan. An elevator takes visitors to the top of the statue, which depicts the Bodhisattva Kannon from Shingon Buddhism. This statue of Kannon bears the Nyoihōju wishing gem in her hand, which classifies her as a version of the Nyoirin Kannon (“Wish-fulfilling Kannon”) form of Kannon.
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22. Dai Kannon at Kita no Miyako Park
Height: 289 feet (88 metres)
Location: Ashibetsu, Hokkaido
Country: Japan
The Dai Kannon of Kita of Miyako park, also known as the Hokkaido Kannon, as well as the Byakue Kannon, is the third-tallest statue in Japan. It was considered the tallest statue in the world when it first opened in 1989 at 289 feet (88 metres), holding the world record until 1991. The statue depicts Guanyin (Avalokitesvara) and is located in the Kita no Miyako park on the island of Hokkaido. The statue contains over 20 floors with an elevator, with floors containing shrines and places of worship, eight in total, and a platform providing a panoramic view of the area to visitors.
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23. Bhaisajyaguru at Nihon-Ji Temple
Height: 70 feet (21.5 metres)
Location: Kyonan, Chiba Prefecture
Country: Japan
Nihon-ji is a Buddhist temple located on the slopes of Mount Nokogiri in the city of Kyonan, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. This statue, known as Nihon-ji Daibutsu (Big Buddha statue of Nihon Temple) is a sculpture of the Yakushiji Nyorai (Medicine Buddha). It was created in 1783 by Ono Jingoro Eirei and his 27 apprentices, it was the largest stone-carved Buddha statue in pre-modern Japan. Ravaged by erosion and earthquakes, it was restored in 1966.
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24. The Reclining Buddha of Nanzoin Temple
Height: 36 feet (11 metres); Length: 134 feet (41 metres)
Location: Fukuoka
Country: Japan
One of the longest Buddha statues in the world, the reclining Buddha of Nanzoin Temple in Sasaguri, Fukuoka is the same size as New York’s Statue of Liberty. It dwarfs the famous giant bronze Buddha statues of Kamakura and Nara, and was completed in 1995.
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25. Great Buddha Dordenma at Kuensel Phodrang
Height: 177 feet (54 metres)
Location: Thimphu
Country: Bhutan
The Buddha Dordenma is located amidst the ruins of Kuensel Phodrang, the former palace of the 13th Druk Desi. Construction began in 2006 and it was completed on September 25, 2015. The three-storey base houses a large meditation hall, while the body is filled with 125,000 smaller statues of the same Buddha.
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26. Peraliya Buddha at Tsunami Memorial
Height: 61 feet (18.5 metres)
Location: Unawatuna
Country: Sri Lanka
Located in Hikkaduwa, 60 miles (98 kilometres) from Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, this statue was constructed in memory of the Tsunami victims who lost their lives when the Tsunami struck Sri Lanka on December 26, 2004. A replica of the Bamiyan Buddha of Afghanistan, this scale model was created by the Venerable Ratnapure Nanda Thera. The names of the Tsunami victims were inscribed on its base.
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27. Seated Buddha at Linh Phong Zen Temple
Height: 226 feet (69 metres)
Location: Phu Cat District (Binh Dinh)
Country: Vietnam
This seated Buddha statue is one of the biggest ones in Southeast Asia, located in Binh Dinh province, Vietnam’s South Central Coast region. The construction of the statue started in 2009 and was completed in November 2017.
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28. Amitabha at Fansipan Mountain
Height: 70 feet (21.5 metres)
Location: Lao Cai Province
Country: Vietnam
The great statue of Amitabha Buddha gazes affectionately down at the world from the top of Mount Fansipan, the infamous “Roof of Indochina”, at an astonishing height of 10,311 feet (3,143 metres) above sea level. This spectacular statue is one of the main attractions of Sun World Fansipan Legend, the spiritual and cultural complex on Fansipan Peak in Sapa Town of Southern Lao Cai province.
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29. Pakse Golden Buddha at Wat Phou Salao
Height: Around 32 feet (10 metres)
Location: Pakse
Country: Laos
The statue is located in Pakse, which is the provincial capital of Champassak Province in the southwest of Laos. Perched high on Salao Hill, the Golden Buddha surveys the panoramic landscape of the region. From the hilltop where the Buddha is, visitors can have a view over peaceful Pakse city and Mekong River. Besides paying homage to the Buddha, another reason many people go all the way up is to see the wonderful view of the whole city gradually turn into darkness.
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30. Buddha of Mahamongkol Chai Dhamma Temple Complex
Height: Around 100 feet (31 metres)
Location: Sravasti, Uttar Pradesh
Country: India
This spectacular Buddha statue located in the Mahamongkol Chai Dhamma Temple stands majestically at 31 metres tall. The complex is one of the most beautiful and spacious Buddhist temples located in Sravasti, the place where Lord Buddha spent 25 of his “Vassa” or Rains Retreats, the annual three-month retreat during the rainy season of the year. Aside from the large Buddha statue, the complex also has a large meditation hall and a 100-metre tall stupa.
Click HERE to see many more beautiful statues around the world. They will truly give you a sense of grandeur and awe. Enjoy!
For more interesting information:
- 10 Holy Dorje Shugden Statues around the World
- The Body of a Buddha: A Road Map to Liberation
- Largest Dorje Shugden in the world
- Huge outdoor Tsongkapa!
- I Visited World’s Largest Solid Gold Buddha!
- DAIBUTSU – The Great Buddha of Kamakura
- Applicable Dharma Talks from Around the World
- Bigger and more Buddha statues makes a difference | 为何佛像越大、越多越好
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Thank you for sharing these wonderful post. It is amazing to view all these grand statues around the world. It is really mind blowing imagining how these statues are built or how they are carved through mountains. I find them very interesting, stunning and brilliant architecture. It’s great to have more grand outdoor statues that brings blessings, peace and happiness to everyone.
https://bit.ly/386DodU
Thanks to Tsem Rinpoche, I eventually managed to track the name and location of a Buddha statue I visited in 1986-33 years ago when I was sent by my company for equipment buy-off.
It was listed in Tsem Rinpoche’s collection as:
“13. Jibo Kannon at Narita-san temple of Kurume, Fukuoka prefecture, Japan
Height : 62 m. (Credit to KW Leung)
This framed 6R photo(6insx8ins) with me and a colleague posing at the base of the Buddha statue stands proudly for so many years in my dining room. I remembered we walked up the spiral staircase inside the statue up to the shoulders where we could look at the majestic view of the surrounding prefecture!
Thanks again Tsem Rinpoche for helping me relocate this lost memory! ??
Amazing there many grand statues around the world. There are some of the tallest, oldest, most spectacular, and historically significant statues of Lord Buddha. Buddhism has many different national and local cultures and traditions. Some of these Buddha statues are among the largest in the world. Beautiful and blessful to look at those pictures which paints a thousand words as each pose has a different spiritual significance. Thailand and China top the list of many grand statues across the globe. Big Buddha Statues has benefited many people and the surrounding environment. Such as the Big Manjushri Statues at Mount Wutai, China has attracted many pilgrims over the world . We a group of Kecharians have indeed fortunate to go on a fruitful pilgrimage there few years back.
Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful sharing.
Thank you, Rinpoche for sharing with us all these beautiful statues around the world. It is not surprising that most of the large Buddha statues are Buddha statues. In Buddhism, we know the benefits of large Buddha statues and we appreciate large Buddha statues. A large Buddha statue is very beneficial to everyone and anything that is around that area.
The larger the Buddha statue, the more beneficial it is to its surroundings. In history, large Buddha statues are erected to calm the land or to bless the environment and the beings around. Many Buddha statues are erected in places that are prone to natural disasters or accidents. An example will the Leshan Buddha which was intentionally created to calm the turbulent waters of the river in front of it.
After the Buddha statue was completed, the waters of the river did become calmer and it is much safer for the boats that sail along the river. This is just one of the many benefits of large Buddha statues. KFR is planning to get a big Buddha statue in the future and may everyone that comes to KFR will be blessed and be healed.
There are many nice outdoor Buddha statues all around the world. It is said that a big Buddha statue can calm the environment and pacify calamity of the area. For example, the Big Buddha in Lantau Island in Hong Kong was constructed because there used to be many natural disasters in that area.
Erecting a big Buddha statue can also give blessings to all sentient beings. The bigger it is, the better because it can be seen by more sentient beings from far. When we see a Buddha image or hear the mantra, an imprint is planted in our mind stream. If we cannot practice Dharma in this lifetime, the imprint will be able to trigger in future when the condition is right for us to practice Dharma.
To sponsor to construct a big Buddha statue is very meritorious. As long as the statue still stands, we will continue to collect merits even if we have passed away. We may not be able to afford to build a big statue ourselves but Tsem Rinpoche is giving us a lot of opportunities to get involved. In Kechara Forest Retreat, there are many big statues being installed, we should not miss the chance to make our contribution to collect merits.
I always feel amazed to see grand outdoor statues. They look so captivatiing, majestic and peaceful. It’s great to have more grand outdoor statues that brings blessings,peace and happiness to everyone. Love the great looking Lord Manjushri statue! ?? Thank you very much Rinpoche and blog team for sharing these wonderful pictures and article.????