Visit Big Buddha in Phuket
Continue exploring Thailand and visit the Big Buddha, a huge statue of Buddha!
You will discover the great beautiful representation of the Buddhist religion!
Before reaching the statue
See Phuket from the heights of the city
In fact, the statue overlooks Phuket because of its location at the top of the hill. The more we get closer, the more we wondered when the size of the statue would stop increasing.
Once arrived in front of it: it is impressive! 45 meters high to be exact, to my knowledge there is no statue of comparable size in France, but if you want to compare, the statue is almost as high as the Arc de Triomphe!
Statue of the Great Buddha in the high place of the province of Phuket
As you can guess, the statue is still under construction, although the structure of it is complete!
The statue is all in marble and has a very simple finish compared to all the decorations you see on the temples.
Large Buddha statue in Thailand. The marble colossus of 45 meters high!
A space of offerings and prayers
- Statue of Buddha in gold
- Buddhist prayer statue
- Statue of Buddha praying next to the Great Buddha
- Statue under the Great Buddha in Thailand
Since Buddha is still basically a religious figure, there is also a space next to the statue to accommodate other people. Buddhists come here to make offerings and pray.
Practitioners can also enjoy the presence of monks under the statue (in fact, the statue is also a Buddhist temple). It is also important to know that the Big Buddha is a place of sacrifice and that women should cover their shoulders and legs as a sign of respect. For example, you should not wear cleavage. And, as in everyday life in Thailand, women are not allowed to approach the monks, which is prohibited.
At the same place, there is also a place to buy souvenirs such as small Buddha statues.
One can also buy gold leaves, on which pilgrims and tourists write wishes, prayers or simple dates or memories of their visits. These leaves allow pilgrims to transmit something to the Buddha through the Buddha image.
A Pharaonic Project
The challenge proved to be difficult, as forestry permits had to be obtained and funding had to be found.
The funding for the construction of this massive structure came and remains entirely from donations. The project is old French and requires a huge budget.
But from the beginning, we managed our finances intelligently and efficiently. I was amazed at the total amount of money donated by everyone who knew about the program. It seems that all donors want to be part of the project. Suporn Wanichkul, president of Mingmongkol Faith Foundation 45, explained that the foundation was established to carry out the Big Buddha project.
Buddha actually has two manifestations. A “small” one, 12 meters high, made of 22 tons of copper, is worth 8 million baht. It is a dwarf compared to its immediate neighbors, the 45 meters high Paptamin Monco Akhenakiri Buddha and 25 meters from its base. So far, it has cost $30 million. “The money is coming from everywhere, from locals, Thais and foreign tourists from other provinces,” said Khun Suporn. With the help of their website and the media, the group has collected and continues to collect donations from all over the country. planet.
Unique view
Unique views to the west and east give the impression of a true island scale. Traveling by road, Phuket can sometimes seem huge, unlike Koh Samui, where you rarely get around the island in a day. Once on Nakkerd Hill, we were amazed to see the real size and unadornedness of Phuket…
Drive slowly while climbing the marble giant, for two reasons: the road is still under construction (better to go back before the night, to see the Buddha die, very little for me…). The facilities to climb are worth visiting, they are built and decorated in the “Thai style” and offer a breathtaking view.
To take advantage of the best light, it is better to go there at sunrise or in the late afternoon because the light in the bay of Chalong is weak around 5 pm. Lonely and wild, beware! Crowd guaranteed around 3 pm… To get there from the Chalong traffic circle, drive 1.3 km (towards Phuket Town Mall) and see many red “Big Buddha” signs on the left. Coming from Phuket Town, head west on Chaofa Road and turn right at the sign.
In conclusion
This is not the only Buddha statue you can find in the world, but anyway, it is already very imposing and the work is not finished.
In any case, it is already a very beautiful monument and worth the detour! Moreover, its location on the heights of Phuket will offer you an unobstructed view on the whole city and will allow you to take beautiful panoramic pictures.
You can see the Big Buddha from almost anywhere on the island, unconcerned and looking out over Phang Nga Bay. It has become one of the icons of Phuket. Its mastodon fascinates both Thais and tourists. The view on the bay is also spectacular. Be careful, the way to get there is dangerous.