There are thousands of public works of art around the world and many impress and surprise with their creativity and size. Whether carved in rock or covered in marble, dripping with gold or made from plants, these are some of the biggest, tallest and most awe-inspiring statues and sculptures worth seeking out on your travels.
Click through this gallery for amazing images of the world's greatest statues and sculptures...
Towering above Encantado, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, this statue of Jesus Christ is even larger than Brazil's famed Christ the Redeemer. Called Christ the Protector of Encantado, it's said to be the world's third-largest statue of Jesus at a total height of 141 feet (43m). Created by a father and son sculptor duo, the concrete and steel structure's exterior was finished in 2022 after three years of construction. An elevator is also set to run through its middle to a viewing deck, located within the monument's heart.
Rising high above the Danube, at the border between Romania and Serbia, the portrait of Decebalus, the last king of the Dacians, is Europe's biggest stone sculpture. At 180 feet (55m) tall and 82 feet (25m) wide, it's bigger than both the Statue of Liberty in New York and Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.
The largest equine sculpture in the world, these two horses' heads rise 98 feet (30m) above the surrounding area. Depicting kelpies (shape-shifting water spirits), the sculpture is a reference to the area's strong connection with the horses that helped shape Scottish industry and economy. Located in the Forth Valley, Falkirk itself lies between Scotland's two biggest cities, Glasgow and the capital city, Edinburgh.
Located on the resort island of Koh Samui in Thailand, Wat Plai Laem is a Buddhist temple dedicated to Guanyin, the goddess of compassion and mercy. The temple's main feature is the 18-arm image of Guanyin that rises 66 feet (20m) above the complex. Unlike many other Buddhist places of worship, Wat Plai Laem is a modern temple, although the techniques used in its creation are centuries old and based on ancient beliefs.
Carved out of a cliff face in the southern part of China's Sichuan province, the Leshan Giant Buddha is a 233-foot (71m) tall statue and the biggest stone Buddha in the world. Built between AD 713 and 803, the statue depicts Maitreya, the embodiment of all-encompassing love. The giant idol is a popular attraction and just one of its shoulders is large enough to fit into a basketball court.
The most striking feature in the Tsz Shan Monastery in Hong Kong is this blindingly white Guanyin statue. Rising 249 feet (76m) above ground, it's nestled among the greenery of lush woodlands, making both statue and monastery a serene and beautiful escape from the busy city.
Love this? Follow us on Facebook for more travel inspiration
A statue of epic proportions, the Spring Temple Buddha is the second-tallest statue in the world. It's 420 feet (128m) tall but, together with the lotus throne it stands on and the stacked platform base, the total height is closer to 682 feet (208m). Located in Henan, the statue depicts Vairocana Buddha – often seen as the embodiment of the Buddhist concept of sunyata, which refers to the emptiness reached through meditation.
Modelled after Rio's iconic Christ the Redeemer, Bolivia's Cristo de la Concordia in Cochabamba is one of the largest statues of Jesus Christ in the world. Reaching a total height of 133 feet (40m), it's located atop San Pedro Hill and is accessible via a cable car or by climbing 2,000 steps.
The world's tallest statue between 1993 and 2008, Ushiku Daibutsu in Japan stands a total of 390 feet (120m) tall, including the base and the lotus platform. The bronze statue has an observation floor and three other levels that serve as a museum. It was built to commemorate the birth of Shinran – a Japanese Buddhist monk who founded Jodo Shinshu which is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan.
Visitors arriving to Esbjerg by sea are greeted by four monumental figures crafted in white concrete entitled Man Meets the Sea. The sculpture was unveiled in 1995 and is a symbol of the contemplative nature of humankind, celebrating Esbjerg's 100 years as an independent municipality. Measuring 27 feet (8.2m) tall, this work of art by Svend Wiig Hansen is much-loved within the community.
Reaching a height of 148 feet (45m), the Phuket Big Buddha is made of concrete and covered in white Burmese marble tiles. Visible across the southern half of the island, its construction started in 2004 and continued for 14 years, until the completion of its base in 2018. Caught in a moment of profound peace and relaxation, the Buddha sits cross-legged atop a shrine where locals and travellers alike are invited to meditate.
Said to be the tallest Guanyin statue in the world, it rises 354 feet (108m) and has three aspects – one facing inland and the other two looking out to the South China Sea. The different aspects represent Guanyin's blessing and protection of China and the whole world. It was enshrined in 2005 with the participation of 108 eminent monks from various Buddhist groups in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and China alongside thousands of pilgrims.
An undeniable symbol of New York City, Lady Liberty has been welcoming visitors since 1886, when France gifted her to the people of the United States. Although the statue itself is only 154 feet (47m) tall, with the pedestal it's over 300 feet (90m), placing it among the tallest statues in the world.
This 112-foot (34m) tall statue of the Hindu deity Shiva has been recognised as the largest bust sculpture in the world by Guinness World Records. Located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, it's intended to inspire and promote yoga. It's named Adiyogi, meaning the first yogi, because Shiva is known as the originator of yoga.
One of the largest bronze Buddha statues in China and the world, the Grand Buddha at Ling Shan is 289 feet (88m) tall, including the 30-foot (9m) tall lotus pedestal. It depicts Amitabha – the principal Buddha in Pure Land Buddhism – and was built in 1997.
Once the record holder for the world's tallest fork, this 26-foot-tall (8m) art installation is almost as popular a tourist attraction in the Swiss town of Vevey as Charlie Chaplin's statue. The Fork (or La Fourchette) was initially created for the 10th anniversary of Alimentarium, a Vevey-based museum with a permanent exhibition on food and the history of Nestle. It was removed in 1996, but was reinstated about a decade later following a public petition.
One of the most famous statues in the world, Christ the Redeemer welcomes around two million visitors every year. Located atop the Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro, the reinforced concrete statue stands 98 feet (30m) tall with its outstretched arms spanning 92 feet (28m). Known as Cristo Redentor in Portuguese, the statue was completed in 1931 and is the largest Art Deco-style sculpture in the world.
This 397-foot (121m) tall statue in Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park depicts Garuda, a bird-like creature in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain mythology, with Vishnu on his back. The statue was inspired by a Hindu myth about the search for Amrita (the elixir of life) that Garuda could use to free his enslaved mother. The statue took 28 years to build and was unveiled in 2018.
Hidden away in lush, forest-clad mountains, the remote Po Lin monastery attracts visitors and pilgrims from all across the world. One of its main draws is the 111-foot-tall (34m) Tian Tan Buddha statue. It was erected in 1993 and sits facing north, looking over the Chinese people, with its right hand raised to deliver a blessing to all. To take a closer look at this bronze Buddha that took 12 years to complete, visitors face an arduous 268-step climb.
Outside Mongolia, Genghis Khan is known as a brutal and savage dictator. However, to many locals, he's a national hero who established the Mongol Empire as a cultural, political and economic force. The 131-foot-tall (40m) statue faces east, towards Genghis Khan's birthplace, and the adjacent museum offers archaeological tours plus chances to try on traditional Mongolian costumes and sample the country's cuisine. It's the largest equestrian statue in the world.
Perched on top of Cerro Santa Barbara stands the towering statue of Virgen del Socavon, the patron saint of Oruro. Inside the 105-foot-tall (32m) statue, stairs lead to platforms from which there are impressive views of the city and beyond. It's especially atmospheric during the carnival that precedes Lent every year, when thousands of people march in elaborate, colourful costumes to the music of brass bands.
He's best known for his balloon dogs, but this is possibly the most adorable of Jeff Koons' works. Located outside the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum, this 43-foot-tall (13m) West Highland terrier is a living plant sculpture. A take on the outlandish topiary sculptures of 18th-century gardens, the piece was created to inspire optimism, according to the artist himself.
The second-tallest Shiva statue in the world is located in the southern Indian town of Murdeshwar, near the ancient Murudeshwara Temple. Sitting on a coastal hill above the Arabian Sea, the statue – dedicated to one of the principal deities of Hinduism – is 123 feet (37m) tall and designed to face the morning sun.
Located at the entrance of Batu Caves just outside Malaysia's capital city, this statue of Lord Murugan is the tallest depiction of a Hindu deity in the world. Standing 140 feet (43m) tall, the statue is constructed from around 250 tonnes of steel and took 66 gallons of gold paint to decorate.
Located just outside Da Nang, one of Vietnam's largest cities, the Golden Bridge quickly became a must-visit attraction after opening in 2018. Soaring 3,280 feet (999m) above sea level, the two giant hands hold a striking footbridge, meant to resemble the hands of gods holding a golden thread. Part of a multibillion-pound investment to lure more tourists to the area, it's a spectacular sight to see.
Dedicated to the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Statue of Unity is currently the tallest in the world. Towering an impressive 600 feet (182m), it represents one of the country's founding fathers and its first deputy prime minister. The monument took 3,000 workers and 250 engineers 40 months to construct. Its core is made from 6,500 tonnes of structural steel and 18,500 tonnes of reinforced steel. The outer facade is covered in 1,700 bronze plates and 1,850 tonnes of bronze cladding.
The standing Buddha in this image is the third-tallest statue in the world, measuring a height of 612 feet (185m). Laykyun Sekkya depicts a Gautama Buddha – the spiritual master considered the founder of Buddhism. Funded solely by donations, the statue took more than 12 years to finish and was finally unveiled in 2008. It is accompanied by a reclining Buddha and a golden pagoda, which together comprise one of Myanmar's most significant spiritual sites.
The Great Buddha of Thailand, located in the Wat Muang temple, is currently the tallest statue in the country. Depicted in a seated posture, called Maravijaya Attitude, the Buddha draws in visitors thanks to its right hand – just below there's a small pedestal people can stand on to touch the Buddha's palm. The statue's enormous dimensions – 300 feet high (91m) and 201 feet wide (61m) – dominate the landscape, meaning it can be seen for miles.
Breaking up the seemingly flat surface of the Atacama Desert's moonscape, Mano del Desierto (Hand of the Desert) is the work of the Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrazabal. The 36-foot-tall (11m) hand was built in the early 1980s and the artist himself has said that his "art is meant to spark imagination". However, the hand, its size and its location are all a symbol of human vulnerability.
A fixture of the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (America's first underwater park) since 1965, the Christ of the Abyss is a nine-foot-tall (3m) bronze figure fated to preside over the world's third-largest living barrier reef. Cast from a mould originally designed by Italian artisan Guido Galletti, from which two prior deep-dwelling statues were also made, its outstretched arms can be seen by snorkellers swimming aloft. Scuba divers get a much closer look, enough to make out every barnacle and coral branch slowly reclaiming the monument.
The rock-hewn Lion of Lucerne has become one of the Swiss city’s most beloved tourist attractions, frozen in a sandstone niche since 1821. But it stands for much more than that, having been commissioned to commemorate the Swiss Guard soldiers who died at the Storming of the Tuileries in 1792, a turning point in the French Revolution. It is the work of Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, whose services were sought by Swiss Guard veteran Karl Pfyffer von Altishofen to honour his fallen comrades. Caught in its final moments, the dying lion symbolises bravery and sacrifice.
Puerto Vallarta, a resort city on Mexico's Pacific coast, is something of an open-air sculpture gallery. All along the Malecon, a long boardwalk skirting Rosita Beach, are a suite of public artworks ranging from angels and ocean gods to folk dancers, sea creatures and ladders to nowhere. This is one of our favourites – Nostalgia by Ramiz Barquet. Installed in 1984, the pair of bronze figures sitting on a bench represents the sculptor and his wife when they first fell in love.
One of several art installations dedicated to British Columbia’s Indigenous communities at Vancouver Airport, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Jade Canoe is a truly striking sight. Finished in an iridescent green patina, the bronze sculpture shows a canoe filled with 13 passengers – all characters rooted in Haida culture. A bear family, a raven, a wolf, a frog and an eagle share the vessel with the Dogfish Mother, the Mouse Woman, the Bear Mother, the Chief and the 'Ancient Reluctant Conscript', meticulously sculpted by Haida artist Bill Reid. The piece has dominated Vancouver’s international terminal since 1996.
These poignant statues have, aptly, travelled the world since artist Bruno Catalano first unveiled them in 2013. Originally created to mark Marseille’s designation as European Capital of Culture, Les Voyageurs began as 10 life-sized bronzes positioned along the city’s waterfront before being exhibited in Venice and, currently, on Manhattan’s Park Avenue (pictured). Each of the figures are missing body parts, leaving melancholy voids where their torsos, arms and thighs should be. Born in Morocco to a Sicilian family and raised in France, Catalano’s nomadic blood informed these pieces, exploring themes of migration, belonging and burden.
The world’s largest bird sculpture, Jatayu sprawls across the roof of the Jatayu Earth’s Center in Chadayamangalam, surrounded by a leafy adventure park. In Hindu lore, Jatayu is said to have crashed down from the sky while duelling with the demon king Ravana. He fought valiantly, but was gravely injured. Now, the fearless bird has been immortalised forever by sculptor and film director Rajiv Anchal, who spent 10 years bringing Jatayu back to life with a team of fellow artists. His immaculately detailed wings, talons and head can be climbed by visitors.
On the wave-weathered Atlantic shores of Tintagel, there looms a regal figure guarding the ruins of a castle with ties to Arthurian legend. Dappled with verdigris, Gallos – whose name means 'power' in the Cornish tongue – is the craftsmanship of Rubin Eynon, who took inspiration from the stories of King Arthur and the region’s royal history to realise the mystical, eight-foot-tall (2m) monument. Completed in 2016, the hefty statue had to be flown in by helicopter and lowered onto its clifftop perch.
One of Australia’s famous 'Big Things', a cult phenomenon of bizarrely huge artworks (think mangoes, miners and boxing crocodiles) spread around the country, the Big Ant in Poochera isn’t just a quirky installation. It represents the town’s population of an incredibly rare ant species, the dinosaur ant, which has been described as a ‘living fossil’ by scientists on account of its prehistoric origins. Critically endangered, it’s feared the dinosaur ant could be lost forever to bushfires and climate change, so the Big Ant is a surprisingly sobering monument.
Of all the places you might expect to find these ominously cloaked forms, the charming shores of Lake Como seem like an unlikely candidate. But lurking around the grounds of Castello di Vezio, perched above the pretty town of Varenna, are a legion of plaster sculptures of faceless ghosts that appear every tourist season. Not merely a gimmick for photo opportunities, the spectres relate to a supernatural legend involving a former resident of the castle – Theodelinda, queen of the Lombards, whose spirit allegedly haunts its halls.
This portly feline may not be the biggest or grandest entry in the list, but it would be remiss of us to leave out Istanbul’s beloved street cat. The real Tombili, a chubby tabby cat, would slouch across these steps in the city’s Ziverbey neighbourhood. Without a home to go, she’d just sit and watch the world go by – much to the endless bemusement of the locals. She soon became an internet sensation and when Tombili sadly passed away in 2016, her fans and friends had this memorial statue installed in her favourite people-watching spot.
Dating back to the 16th century, this giant of a sculpture is the focal point of Villa Demidoff’s gardens, built on the site of a former Medici residence just north of Florence. Designed by Renaissance sculptor Giambologna, the Apennine Colossus towers 35 feet (11m) above a tranquil pond, and was intended to personify the Apennine mountain range as an ancient and omnipresent guardian. Wearing a wizened expression and bowed in a perpetual crouch, the Colossus is always watching.
Paying tribute to the Native American women of the Great Plains, this powerful statue was created by Dale Claude Lamphere, who worked with three Indigenous models to achieve these astonishingly lifelike features. Lamphere also studied the traditions and teachings of the Lakota and Dakota cultures – for example, holding up a quilt like this is a gesture of respect and honour. Dignity’s star quilt, comprised of 128 blue stainless steel diamond shapes, billows on windy days and sparkles in the sun.
Now check out the captivating secrets and history of America's Old West