Spanish city of Cáceres to have giant statue of the Buddha

Thursday, February 6, 2020

In collaboration with Lumbini, Nepal, popular as the birthplace of the historical Buddha, there are plans to make the Spanish city of Cáceres home to a Buddhist complex featuring a giant statue of the Buddha, intended to stand as a world peace monument.

The complex will include a garden, a Buddhist monastery, and a stupa, along with a library, relics of the Buddha, and accommodation for up to 20 monks. It will be funded by the privately owned Lumbini Garden Foundation. The main attraction of the new Buddhist complex will be a 40-meter statue of a seated Buddha.

Earlier in January in Lumbini, the Mayors of Cáceres and Lumbini, both of which are home to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, signed a memorandum of understanding that twins the two towns.

The project, announced in Madrid on 22 January, during the first day of the FITUR International Tourism Trade Fair of Madrid 2020, is expected to provide a tourism boost for Cáceres, especially among Asian visitors.

The Buddhist complex, which is expected to start later this year, would provide an opportunity for more Asian travelers to become acquainted with Spain and Cáceres.

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