A ceremony was held in Phat Lon Pagoda, An Hao commune, Tinh Bien district, southern An Giang province on May 29 to announce the largest Maitreya Buddha statue seated on the mountain peak in Asia.

The record was recognised by the New Delhi-based Asia Book of Records on March 2, 2013.

At the ceremony, General Director of the Asia Book of Records Biswaroop presented the record certificate to leaders of the An Giang provincial People’s Committee.

The Maitreya Buddha statue is located on the Thien Cam Son peak of Cam Mountain, about 710 metres above the sea level.

The 33.6m-high, 600-tonne statue was constructed from March 2004 to December 2005 at a cost of more than 33 billion VND (1.6 million USD).

In early 2006, it was named the biggest Maitreya Buddha statue in Vietnam by the Vietnam Book of Records (Vietkings).-VNA