KAMPOT: The Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction, DPM Chea Sophara, has stated that the Buddha statue being built atop Bokor Mountain will become a significant religious tourism destination in Cambodia and will be able to draw tens of thousands of visitors after construction is complete.

According to the Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP), DPM Chea Sophara made this statement at the Wednesday morning, 4 January, groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a 108-meter-tall Buddha statue on Bokor Mountain. The DPM remarked that the Sokha Hotel Company, which is behind the construction of the statue, is not only focusing on developing the mountain area, but also on the factor of religion, which is important to the culture and traditions of the Cambodian people.

He added that the initiative to build the largest Buddha statue atop Bokor Mountain will serve as a sacred site for Cambodians, promote happiness and prosperity, and also attract national and international tourists.

“I would like to thank the Sokha Hotel for its contribution to the development of Bokor Mountain and for initiating the construction of this Buddha statue, which will become the largest Buddhist tourist center in Cambodia and the world,” said DPM Chea Sophara.

This new Buddha statue is being built on Bokor Mountain, 962 meters above sea level, in the "Veal Srae 500" area and Monivong Bokor National Park. The statue will be made of concrete and will be gold in color. Total construction cost is expected to be around US $30 million. It will take four years for the project to complete.