Christ the Redeemer: The World’s Biggest Game of ‘Who Can Build the Tallest Jesus'

 

The Basics: A Giant Concrete Jesus on a Mountain

Christ the Redeemer. One of Brazil’s most iconic landmarks, standing tall on Corcovado Mountain and overlooking Rio de Janeiro with his arms wide open—like he’s waiting for a hug that never comes. Built in 1931, this cultural and spiritual monument was meant to symbolise peace and welcome. Instead, it now mostly welcomes travel influencers trying to recreate the same five photos.

Measuring 30 metres high (plus a 9-metre pedestal, because apparently a regular-sized Jesus just wouldn’t cut it), the statue has become the ultimate tourist magnet. And while it may look serene in photos, in reality, it’s surrounded by selfie sticks, sunburnt tourists, and people pretending to hold hands with the statue. Because nothing says “spiritual journey” like a forced perspective gag.

The Construction: Big Jesus Energy

The idea of building a colossal religious statue came from Brazilian Catholics who thought a giant Jesus would ward off “Godlessness.” Because, obviously, nothing says ‘divine protection’ like 1,145 tonnes of reinforced concrete.

It took nine years to build and required lugging massive stone blocks up a mountain. Which raises an important question: why did they decide to build it 700 metres in the air? Surely a smaller Jesus at ground level would have been easier? But no, they went for the go big or go home approach—proving that if you’re going to spend nearly a decade making a spiritual symbol, you might as well make it impossible to miss.

Visitor Experiences: The Climb, the Crowds, the Clouds

Millions of tourists explore Christ the Redeemer every year, most of them climbing the 220 steps or taking the slightly less spiritual escalator to the top. Because nothing says religious pilgrimage like avoiding physical effort.

The view from the top is supposed to be breath taking. That is, if you’re lucky enough to visit on a clear day. More often than not, you’ll just see fog and regret. After climbing for hours, you might only get to admire Jesus’ knees while the rest of him disappears into the mist. But hey, at least you’ll have a blurry photo and a questionable fridge magnet to remember it by.

Lesser-Known Facts: Jesus with Some Party Tricks

Now, let’s learn more about the real Christ the Redeemer—the one they don’t put on postcards. For starters, his arms are not actually symmetrical. One side is slightly longer, which just makes him look like he’s leaning into a shrug. You’d think someone would’ve noticed that during construction, but apparently they just went, “Ah well, no one will be measuring him.”

And despite being a symbol of peace, the statue is regularly hit by lightning strikes—sometimes up to four times a year. In 2014, one bolt even took off a chunk of his right thumb, which is both tragic and slightly amusing. Imagine being so holy that even the weather has beef with you.

Oh, and the statue’s interior isn’t just solid concrete—it actually has tiny maintenance staircases hidden inside, so workers can access different sections. Meaning, somewhere inside that massive Jesus, there are probably a couple of builders with sandwiches, wondering if they’ll ever get to leave.

The Legacy: Spiritual? Maybe. Overhyped? Absolutely.

Today, Christ the Redeemer is one of the most visited landmarks in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which mostly means it gets more tourists than spiritual pilgrims. People spend hours sweating their way to the top, only to realise the statue doesn’t even have a gift shop. Which is a shame, because who wouldn’t want a keyring of Jesus losing his thumb to lightning?

But love it or loathe it, Christ the Redeemer has become Brazil’s most famous symbol, and if you’re in Rio, you’re kind of obliged to go see it. Just be prepared for crowds, clouds, and a spiritual experience that mostly involves dodging people waving selfie sticks.