2) Laykun Sekkya – Monywa, Burma

Burma are a very poor country with an oppressed and poverty stricken population so it’s kind of a surprise to see them near the top of these charts. The Laykun Sekkya is a depiction of a Gautama Buddha and stands about 130 metres tall if you include its base. It is a hollow statue and has a staircase inside which you climb to get a killer view higher up.

Inside there are 32 floors, many of which are dedicated to depictions of hell which is nice. It took 11 long years to finish and this guy ain’t alone. There’s a lying down Buddha in front and another under construction. They just don’t know when to stop do they?

Laykun was completed in 2008 and I’m guessing served a couple of functions: it acted as a big ‘screw you’ to the world and also as a way of putting the fear of god into the citizen’s hearts.

☛ Up Next: 9 Insane Soviet Era Buildings