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Photos: The 15 Tallest Statues in the World (20 photos)

With the opening of the new “Statue of Unity” in India today, there is a new name topping the list of the tallest statues in the world. The new monument to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel stands 597 feet tall (182 m), overtaking the previous record holder, the 420-foot (128 m) Spring Temple Buddha, in China’s Lushan county. Using Wikipedia’s standard of measuring to “the highest part of the human (or animal) figure, but excluding the height of any pedestal,” we present images below of the 15 tallest statues in the world as of today, plus five bonus photos of some more famous—if smaller—colossal monuments.