A STATUE of Chinese icon Kuan Yim is to be the centrepiece of a man-made island-temple to be built off Saphan Hin, the public park on Phuket City's coast.
The 190-million baht island will be in the shape of an elaborate modern lotus flower, accessed along a walkway jetty.
Made from white jade, the five-metre statue of female icon Kuan Yim will be visible day and night and bathed in purple, green, yellow and red lights.
With three profiles, the statue will look out over Phuket Bay with expressions of Mercy, Intellect and Peace.
Uthis Chaileukit, chairman of the International Herb and Cosmetics Company, conceived the idea for the massive artwork more than a year ago as a way of commemorating the 80th birthday of HM the King.
He has donated 44 million baht to have the statue created in Beijing, where it is being carved by skilled craftsmen, then shipped to Phuket. Kuan Yim is expected to arrive on the island next month.
Architects have presented scaled down models of the island to the Governor, Dr Preecha Ruangjan, and investors.
Work will be overseen by Phuket's Office of Public Works and Town Planning.
Phuket's Big Buddha, at 45-metres the tallest sitting buddha in Thailand, is already attracting hundreds of tourists each day and expected to draw as many as one million visitors a year after completion late this year or early in 2010.
The 190-million baht island will be in the shape of an elaborate modern lotus flower, accessed along a walkway jetty.
Made from white jade, the five-metre statue of female icon Kuan Yim will be visible day and night and bathed in purple, green, yellow and red lights.
With three profiles, the statue will look out over Phuket Bay with expressions of Mercy, Intellect and Peace.
Uthis Chaileukit, chairman of the International Herb and Cosmetics Company, conceived the idea for the massive artwork more than a year ago as a way of commemorating the 80th birthday of HM the King.
He has donated 44 million baht to have the statue created in Beijing, where it is being carved by skilled craftsmen, then shipped to Phuket. Kuan Yim is expected to arrive on the island next month.
Architects have presented scaled down models of the island to the Governor, Dr Preecha Ruangjan, and investors.
Work will be overseen by Phuket's Office of Public Works and Town Planning.
Phuket's Big Buddha, at 45-metres the tallest sitting buddha in Thailand, is already attracting hundreds of tourists each day and expected to draw as many as one million visitors a year after completion late this year or early in 2010.
