Bronze Buddha
A bronze statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia, was unveiled in the northern province of Nam Dinh yesterday.
The 14.8m-high statue, cast from 150 tonnes of bronze, portrays Buddha Sakyamuni sitting on a 2.8m-high lotus flower-shaped pedestal while preaching.
The giant Buddha statue, considered a significant spiritual and cultural work, is located inside the Great Truc Lam Thien Truong Buddhism Centre, which was also inaugurated the same day in the province.
The bronze statue cost VND80 billion (US$3.8 million) and took two years to complete. Construction of the Buddhism centre cost VND49 billion ($2.33 million), of which VND41 billion ($1.95 million) came from public donations. — VNA/VNS Photo Hien Hanh