The Big Buddha

Rising from the hills of Chalong, forming a gleaming presence that can be seen from clear across Phuket’s south, sits the Big Buddha. A decade ago, the huge statue was commissioned for a temple in Kata, but at some point someone looked up to the top of the verdant hill rising behind the temple and thought, “Why not?” Thus, an ambitious plan was born.

On the Big Buddha hilltop there are encouraging signs to be found. In the large meditation hall on one afternoon, a small group of Thais and foreign tourists can be seen receiving blessings from two monks, a peaceful scene familiar to anyone living in Thailand, but for visitors it reveals the contemplative, tender side of Thai culture not always evident in the brash tourist areas.