Giant Buddha Statue, Gem of Canadian Jade Industry

The luminous 4.4-ton jade Buddha statue is an impressive figure, not merely for its beauty, but the endeavor to create it.
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Giant Buddha Statue, Gem of Canadian Jade Industry
The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, displayed here in Sydney in 2009, is the largest Buddha figure carved from gemstone quality nephrite jade. The statue was carved from a rare18-ton boulder discovered at the Polar Jade mine in northwestern British Columbia. GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images
Joan Delaney
Updated:

The luminous 4.4-ton jade Buddha statue—made from Canadian jade, carved in Thailand, destined to reside in Australia, and currently on a world tour—is an impressive figure, not merely for its beauty but the endeavor to create it.

The 8.2-foot-high statue was carved from a mammoth 20-ton jade boulder found at the Polar Jade mine near Dease Lake in northwestern British Columbia. Dubbed “Polar Pride,” the boulder is the largest piece of pure gem-grade nephrite jade ever found, says jade miner Kirk Makepeace.

<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/Buddhastatue.jpg" alt="The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, displayed here in Sydney in 2009, is the largest Buddha figure carved from gemstone quality nephrite jade. The statue was carved from a rare18-ton boulder discovered at the Polar Jade mine in northwestern British Columbia. (GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images)" title="The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, displayed here in Sydney in 2009, is the largest Buddha figure carved from gemstone quality nephrite jade. The statue was carved from a rare18-ton boulder discovered at the Polar Jade mine in northwestern British Columbia. (GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1818614"/></a>
The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, displayed here in Sydney in 2009, is the largest Buddha figure carved from gemstone quality nephrite jade. The statue was carved from a rare18-ton boulder discovered at the Polar Jade mine in northwestern British Columbia. (GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images)
Joan Delaney
Joan Delaney
Senior Editor, Canadian Edition
Joan Delaney is Senior Editor of the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times based in Toronto. She has been with The Epoch Times in various roles since 2004.