Southern province inaugurates longest Buddha statue

The Binh Duong Buddhist Culture Center’s 52 meter Buddha statue opened on March 29 in Binh Duong province.
This Buddha covers 3,200 square meters out of 13,000 square meters of Hoi Khanh pagoda. The centre comprises the longest Buddha statue in Vietnam, nearly 3000 square meters of floor paved by granite and 5000 square meters of yard paved by concrete.
The primary stairs to the Buddha statue, which is 24 meters from the ground, has 49 steps, symbolizing the 49 years he practiced his philosophy. Around the statue is a terrace and along the staircase and terrace are 52 stone lamps symbolizing the 52 articles offered to the Buddha.
The platform is carved with 20 reliefs showing the Buddha from his birth to when he entered Nirvana. Around the statue are 840 lotuses made of concrete.
Construction began in August 2008 at a cost of over 20 billion dong (around $1.2 million).