Laykyun Sekkya

레이쿤 세치아 입불상

Laykyun Sekkya is a giant standing Buddha statue near the town of Monywa in the Sagaing Region of Myanmar. The statue is 116 meters tall. It stands on a hillside in the village of Khatakan Taung, beside a huge reclining Buddha. It is one of the tallest statues in the world.

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At a glance

Country: Myanmar (Burma)
Location: Monywa, Myanmar
Built: 2008
Height: 116 m
Type: Statue

Quick answers

Where is Laykyun Sekkya?

Laykyun Sekkya is in Monywa, Myanmar, Myanmar (Burma).

When was Laykyun Sekkya built?

Laykyun Sekkya was built in 2008.

How tall is Laykyun Sekkya?

Laykyun Sekkya is about 116 m tall.

A 116 m standing Buddha on a hillside, accompanied by a huge reclining Buddha.

Work began in 1996 and the statue was completed on 21 February 2008. It was commissioned by the chief abbot, Venerable Nãradã. For a few months it was the tallest statue in the world, until China's Spring Temple Buddha was finished in September 2008. The statue is a major place for Buddhist pilgrims in Myanmar.

A standing and a reclining Buddha

The big statue shows the Buddha standing, and next to it lies a second statue of the Buddha reclining, showing the scene of Mahaparinirvana, the moment when the Buddha is about to pass away. Together, the two figures make the hillside a major place of pilgrimage. The standing statue is described as 116 meters tall, and the card says it stands on a throne base about 13.5 meters high.

How tall is it, really?

Heights can be confusing for statues. One source says the statue stands on a throne of 115.8 meters, which cannot be added to the height of the Buddha, so it probably refers to a different measure. Another source gives 116 meters for the statue alone, plus a base of around 13.5 meters. The safe summary is that the Buddha itself is about 116 meters, and the whole monument is even taller when the base is counted.