Garuda Wisnu Kencana will soon emerge as one of the latest iconic tourism attraction in Bali, and it is worth your visit.

Claimed to be the biggest statue in East Asia, the statue of Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) soon will be “mascot” of Bali.

Stands along grandly with New York’s Statue of Liberty, Paris’ La Tour Eiffel, Japan’s Tokyo Tower, or Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer.

GWK landmark itself has been a favourite venue for many big party events. Such as an international music event like the Dreamfield, and many other local music events.

It will certainly invites huge attention in Bali tourism because tourists love traveling to Bali to see many new things out of their ordinary.

The idea of GWK was originally initiated by I Nyoman Nuarta, a popular Balinese sculptor back in the 1993.

His artistic aim was to create a new landmark on the island of Bali.

Actually the landmark was supposed to be built in the inside of the airport, but in 1997 the Jimbaran Hill area was chosen to minimize the impact of environmental damage.

This because in the Jimbaran Hill is an area of limestone. In addition, the access to the site would be easier because it’s located in the south, the main tourism area of ​​Bali.

Leaving a big question mark after a stagnant period for almost 20 years, finally the construction of GWK is now continues and under progress.

GWK statue was originally built as high as 75 meters. But now, to give a magnificent impression they created a big building as high as 45 meters as the foundation of the statue, as well as to be aligned with other world icons.

Though it is only 8 meters away from the world’s tallest statue, the Spring Temple Buddha in China which height is 128 meters, but the GWK reach 64 meters wide so it will be the largest and grandest statue in the world.

The construction has been impeded in funding because of the economic crisis that struck Indonesia in 1997. The big construction has been stopped ever since.

But to reduce the polemic that occurred in the society, it is decided to continue and to build especially the side park of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana landmark with parts of the statue remain as the main icon.

In the year of 2003, finally the complex of GWK opened to the public and continue to bring tourists until now.

It is like giving an answer to many people, especially the people of Bali.

Before they thought of a super high building was being built on the hillside of Jimbaran, or the local people often called it Bukit.

They were wondering what building is built there? While in Bali there is a rule which certainly forbid to not build a building at a certain height.

Even the big hotel could only have 5 floors maximum, it is not allowed to be higher than a coconut tree.

Then, the reconstruction project was started in 2014 until now.

It was when the ownership and management of Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park was taken over by Alam Sutera Realty, a big property enterprise in Indonesia.

Since then, the fate of the statue which never been finished and even causing a polemic in the society of Bali has been certain.

Currently, the development is continuously accelerated to reach completion targets at the end of 2018.

The total value of investment for the construction of the statue up to the 60-hectare cultural park complex reaches 450 billion rupiah.

For Nyoman Nuarta, the idea of making a sculpture Garuda Wisnu Kencana was inspired by the symbol of the Indonesian state which is also an eagle (Eagle is Garuda, in Bahasa).

He then gets inspiration from Hindu mythology.

The tales about the loyalty of the eagle to Lord Vishnu, the God of Keeper who rode it as a gratitude after helped by Vishnu to free his Mother from being a hostage.

Hopefully he could also hold a promise to finish this statue.  So, the completion of this project would be a great news for everyone.