Big Buddha!

Just a quick, but important observation.....
There really has been no short supply of incredibly large Buddha figures throughout Asia, especially in Thailand, Nepal, and now China. I have always wanted to see the biggest and the best that the world of Buddha figures has to offer, but I had no idea what I was really in for before this journey.
The other day, in Beijing, we hit the granddaddy of them all. We visited the largest Tibetan Monastery outside of Tibet. The whole site was absolutely breathtaking, with courtyard after courtyard and temple after temple. At the very end, though, was the real treat. We saw a...(gasp!) SIXTY foot golden Buddha, carved entirely out of a single sandalwood tree. It is hard to imagine how massive this tree must have been prior to the carving, and how much work that must have gone into this magnificent piece of sculpture. The Guinness Book of World Records even paid a visit to verify that the Buddha was indeed made from one tree! (There was a plaque outside of the statue commemorating the visit by the Guinness people!)
So, I feel more than satisfied. I couldn't really have asked for more, as far as Big Buddhas go, that is.