The Spring Temple Buddha, which gets its name from the nearby Tianrui hot spring known for its curative properties was finished in 2002. It was constructed after the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan were destroyed by the Taliban. The statue depicts the Vairocana Buddha, also called the Supreme Buddha, and represents the wisdom of emptiness.
Alone it stands 128 meters, with the first 25 meter pedestal it towers at 153 meters, and with the addition of another set of pedestals added to it in 2008 it soars at 208 meters. Making it 78 meters taller than the second largest statue in the world. The Laykyun Setkyar statue with a total monument height of 130 meters.
Built from 1,000 tons of copper cast the estimated cost of the monument is said to be around $55,000,000. Now I don't know about you, but that seems a bit wrong. Based on the teachings of Buddha, which are very similar to the Christian teachings of Jesus wouldn't it have been better to use that money to help the poor, the sick, the country of China? I'm sure it has a valuable purpose, but you could have made a giant one out of something cheaper. Paper mache.