Giant Buddha Statue to Rise on Cambodia's Bokor Mountain

Cambodia broke ground on January 4 on the construction of a 108-meter-high Buddha statue, the country's tallest, on Bokor Mountain in Kampot province. The statue is expected to cost around $30 million and take four years to complete.

The statue will be erected in the Bayon style, which was the supreme artistic style during the reign of Jayavarman VII in the 13th century. It will depict the Buddha in the Maravijaya form, which symbolizes Buddha's triumph over Mara, the tempter.

The statue will serve as a sacred site for Cambodians, contribute to enhancing Buddhism, and create new tourism potential at the Preah Monivong Bokor National Park.

The statue will be built on the ridge of Bokor at an elevation of 962 meters above sea level in the so-called 500 Rice Fields area of Preah Monivong Bokor National Park. Made of reinforced concrete and finished in a rich gold color, the statue will face east, with 108 meters from the ground to the top of the Buddha's chignon representing his 108 blessings.

The Buddha statue has been designed with Khmer characteristics and essence after a study by a group of Cambodian architects, with suggestions and feedback from the Inter-Ministerial Technical Working Group.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Buddha statue was held on January 4 under the presidency of H.E. Chea Sophara, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction. The statue is being built by the Sokha Hotel Group, a local conglomerate.