22-storey tall giant Buddha statue to finish construction in 2018

One of the world’s largest Buddha statues glitters on the top of Xiantang Mountain, Xiangyuan County of Shanxi Province. [Photo: VCG]

The Buddha is built on top of a mountain that is over 1,000 meters high. [Photo: VCG]

The Buddha itself is 88 meters in height, which is about as high as a 22-storey building. With an investment of 380 million yuan, it began construction in 2009 and will be completely finished in 2018. [Photo: VCG]

The Buddha covers an area of 5,000 square meters, of which there is a 2,000-square-meter platform for worshiping. [Photo: VCG]