Statues of Jesus litter the world, drawing thousands upon thousands of tourists. Just take Christ the Redeemer in Brazil and Christ the King in Poland as two great examples.
Mexico is joining the throngs of Jesus statues by building their own statue of Christ, and it's expected to be the world's tallest statue of the religious figure.
Set in Victoria City in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, one of the most dangerous cities in the nation, the statue will be called Cristo de la Paz and will stand at 77 meters tall (or about 253 feet tall) with arms outstretched.
The current record holder for the tallest statue of Jesus Christ is 40 meters tall and it's the Cristo de la Concordia in Bolivia. Cristo de la Paz will be nearly twice as tall.
Cristo de la Paz is the brainchild of Mexican actor Eduardo Verastegui Cordoba, a native of Tamaulipas. He plans to present the project to Pope Francis in Rome.
The statue's construction will begin this year and will be conducted by Fernando Romero, whose firm designed the Mexico City airport. Romero plans to build the statue atop an esplanade that will be able to hold 10,000 people.
With the construction of Cristo de la Paz, developers hope it will turn the area into a tourist and pilgrim destination. There are already plans in the works for a church, restaurant, stores, convention center, shelter for pilgrims, hotel, amphitheater, handicraft market, cable car and funicular stations, and a residential area.
It's currently unclear who is funding the project or how much it will cost, but the Catholic Church seems to be playing some part in this project as they are the ones who announced that construction will begin early this year.
Though Cristo de la Paz will be located in one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico, developers say that it will send a "message of faith, love, hope, and peace." Perhaps, the message of love and peace will bring change to the city, reducing the crime rate thus making it more tourist-friendly and safer for all.
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