World's Largest Rice Scoop

The world's largest rice scoop is located in the town of Miyajima (Itsukushima) Island, Japan. This impressive wooden scoop, crafted from a 270-year-old Zelkova (Japanese elm) tree, measures 7.7 metres (25 feet) in length, 2.7 metres (9 feet) in width, and weighs a staggering 2.5 tonnes (2.46 Imperial tons). It took approximately three years to carve this gigantic piece.

Rice holds a significant position as a staple food in Japanese culture, and rice scoops, in general, serve as a poignant reminder of its importance. The scoop itself stands as a symbolic representation of Miyajima, renowned for its traditional wood carvings.

Originally commissioned by the town of Miyajima in 1983 to showcase its traditional woodcraft, due to its large size, suitable space to display the scoop was not readily available. Consequently, it remained in storage for an extended period.

In 1996, on the occasion of Itsukushima Shrine's designation as a World Heritage Site, the scoop found its exhibition place at Miyajima Omotesando Shopping Arcade. However, in 2021, it was relocated to the nearby ETTO Miyajima Exchange Centre (Miyajima Community Development Exchange Centre).

This giant scoop is a popular tourist attraction in Miyajima, drawing visitors from far and wide. The town's souvenir shops are brimming with thousands of wooden scoops, spoons, forks, and other utensils of varying sizes, ranging from a few centimetres to a couple of metres in length.

The Scoop at Miyajima Omotesando Shopping Arcade:

Image from Flickr is by Kirk K

The Scoop at ETTO Miyajima Exchange Centre:

Image from Google Maps is by abuw910

Google Street View (July 2016) at Miyajima Omotesando Shopping Arcade.

Google Maps (current location).

Source of information: miyajima.or.jp / uncover.travel

Credits: I am thankful to Miyajima Tourist Association for guiding me to the current location of this giant scoop.

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World’s Largest Paddle

The world’s largest paddle is in Parson, near the town of Golden, British Columbia, Canada. The huge wooden paddle, the brainchild of retired sailor Mark Teasdale, was crafted from a trunk of Western Red Cedar wood. It has a length of 18.57 metres (60.9 ft.), a height of 2.8 metres (9.2 ft.), and weighs 2404 kg (5300 lbs.). Paddle's blade is made of laminated veneer lumber, and the whole sculpture is finished with high-quality wood varnish to give it a glowing finish.

Installed in late 2013 on Highway 95 near the Columbia River in the Columbia River Valley, it is a popular roadside attraction.

Image from Google Maps is by Christopher Chow

Google Street View

Source of information: worldslargestpaddle.com

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World's Largest Drumsticks

David Grohl Alley, located in Warren, Ohio, USA, proudly houses the world's largest drumsticks. These gigantic drumsticks installed as a tribute to the famous Warren-born musician, David Grohl, who is renowned as the founder of the rock band Foo Fighters.

Initially unveiled on July 7, 2012, during a concert at the Warren Amphitheatre, the record-breaking drumsticks were subsequently permanently shifted to the alley, which fittingly bears the musician's name.

Crafted from the trunks of poplar trees, each of these drumsticks is 7 metres (23 feet) in length, and the pair weighs a total of 409 kg (900 lb).

The drumsticks at the Warren Amphitheatre:

Image from Flickr is by Jack Pearce

The drumsticks at the permanent location in the David Grohl Alley.

Image from Google Maps is by David Ritter

Image from Google Maps is by  Stephen Brown

Google Street View

Source of information: worldrecordacademy.org / Wikipedia

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Northumberlandia - World’s Largest Human Shaped Land Art

Note: This post is an updated post of an earlier post which was made when the art form was still being built.
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World’s largest Human shaped land art is located close to an opencast coal mine near Cramlington, Northumberland, North East England.

The gigantic land form christened as 'Northumberlandia' is in the shape of a recumbent naked female, with her hairs spread out, upper portion of her body in supine position and her lower torso (hip downwards) twisted towards her left. She is about 400 metres (quarter of a mile) long and the highest point of her anatomy, her forehead, is 34 metres (about 111 feet) high. In comparison the gigantic Sphinx is only 73.5 metres (241 ft) long and 20.22 metres (66 ft) high.

The 'Northumberlandia' is the brain child of Charles Jencks, landscape architect and designer, who was approached by Banks Mining Group, (who are carrying out the coal mining operations) and Blagdon Estate (owners of the land) to suggest ways and means of disposal of dug up soil, clay and slag from the mining operations. About 1.5 million tonnes of dug up earth from coal mine was used to create this colossal piece of public art.

Work on the project was started in 2010 and it was officially opened by Princess Anne on 29 August 2012. The lady is the star attraction of the 14.5 hectare public park with rolling hills, causeways, lakes, willow islands, and viewing pavilions.

The project had many critics also, who felt that the owners and the mining operator, by creating this giant land art, were circumventing the requirement to move back the dug up material, when mining operations are over.

The locals have given many names to the lady - Slag Alice, Fat Slag, Big Bird, Slag of the North, Goddess of The North etc.

As the lady is made of the natural materials she is expected to remain in existence for thousands of years and may even become Sphinx of the West. Her size, shape and purpose will be an enigma for future archaeologists. To quote Daily Mail Online;

"Many thousands of years hence, archaeologists may wonder what on earth the ancients were up to in a North-Eastern corner of the European sub-province once known as England.

What had driven them, in the latter stages of the Oil Age, to create the largest replica of the human body ever seen on Earth — a reclining female figure a quarter of a mile long and weighing 1.5 million tons.

Was she a burial mound or a deity? Was she supposed to send messages to other planets? Or was she simply a monument to the obesity of 21st century England? Perhaps they will even stumble across the truth - that she was none of the above."

Here is the designer's rendering of the final land form;

She is so huge that her full form can only be visualized in the Satellite View;


Image: geograph.co.uk / Andrew Curtis

Image from Wikimedia Commons is by AWhiteC

Image: geograph.co.uk / Andrew Curtis

Image from Flickr is by Glen Bowman

View location in Google Earth / Google Maps

Main source of info and more info:

1. Wikipedia
2. Daily Mail Online
3. Geograph snippet by Andrew Curtis
4. Official Website northumberlandia.com

Credits: I am thankful to Andrew Curtis who not only informed me about this remarkable and unique piece of land art but also posted its images under Creative Commons licence in geograph.org.uk. He has a remarkable collection in Geograph, both qualitatively and quantitatively, with more than 10,000 photographs in his Geograph collection.

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Widest Non-Clonal Tree in The World

This post has been updated on Feb. 25, 2023

In March 2015, while I was roaming through the Google Street View of Thailand, I came across this large, wide tree in Kanchanaburi.

Image Source: Google Street View

The Google Earth imagery of that time showed a canopy diameter of about 57.9 metres (190 ft.)

Image Source: Google Earth

The large, wide tree located on the Thai Army cavalry grounds in Kanchanaburi, Thailand is known as Albizia saman, or the Rain Tree or Monkey Pod tree. It has a canopy diameter of approximately 60.4 metres (198 feet), a trunk girth (diameter) of 9.15 metres (30 feet), and stands 20 metres (65.6 feet) tall. The tree's canopy covers an area of approximately 2,416 square metres (0.6 acres or 26,000 square feet). The tree is over 100 years old, and its trunk has a circumference of about 17.7 metres (57.5 feet), so large that at least 10 people are needed to embrace it fully. It is a popular tourist attraction.

It may be worthwhile to note there are few wide trees which are bigger in circumference than this tree, however all these are clonal trees and cannot be considered as the Widest Non-Clonal Tree in The World.

I am therefore of the firm opinion that this tree in Kanchanaburi, Thailand is World's Widest Non-Clonal Tree. I request my readers to negate/confirm this.  This premise has since been confirmed as this tree was included in 2018 in the Guinness World Records.

Image from Google Maps is by Yps Yps

Image from Wikimedia Commons is by Chainwit.

Image from Finding The Universe is copyright © Laurence and Jessica. Permission to use image is thankfully acknowledged. 

The tree's radial roots, protruding above the ground, are as thick as the tree trunk.

I am thankful to J'AoO for sharing several fantastic images of this giant tree in pantip.com.

View location in Google Earth / Google Street View

Source of info:

1. tourismthailand.org (Edit Note: The original Tourism Thailand web site is not available anymore, but it can be accessed via Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
2. thailandee.com
3. Guinness World Records

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World's Largest Loudspeaker

A giant loud speaker, now exhibited at the Battlefield Tourist Park in Dadeng Island, Xiang'an, Xiamen, China is reportedly the World's Largest Loudspeaker. A Chinese sign near the Loudspeaker proclaims it as "The world's largest military broadcast speaker".

The huge loudspeaker has a diameter of 2.28 meters (about 7.5 feet), is 4.74 metres (about 15.5 feet) long and weighs 1588 kg (1.7 tons). When functional its peak output was whopping 20,000 watts and sound from it could be heard up to a distance of 12 km.

The Dadeng Island on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China has often been referred as the "Last Frontier Island". Dadeng along with two other adjacent small Islands namely Xiaodeng and Jiaoyu islands played a strategic role in the defence of the Chinese mainland in the late 1950s during the Taiwan Strait Crisis. These three Islands aka known as "3 Hero Islands" were heavily shelled from nearby Jinmen Island by KMT forces of Taiwan. In turn the Chinese had also heavily shelled the Taiwanese Jinmen Island about 5 km away.

In addition to the military action, both sides had also carried to heavy voice propaganda and psychological war across strait by using giant loudspeakers and this giant loudspeaker is a remnant of those days. Reportedly another such loudspeaker with about 100 holes, due to hits from shell fire across the strait, is on display at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing.

These broadcasts which lasted for about 38 years from 1953 and 1991 are often referred as voices of the "frontier broadcasters". A nice article and first hand information from the broadcasters who had worked here can be read in Women of China.

Note: This loudspeaker is not to be confused with World's Largest Megaphone/Speaking Horn (4 metres long with horn diameter of 2.3 metres) at Avenue de Stalingrad, in central Brussels, Belgium.

Image from Panoramio is by worcep

Image from Panoramio is by Camel Li

Image from Panoramio is by dsxkey

It is worthwhile to note that during the Spanish Civil War, a huge truck mounted loudspeaker (shown below) was used to transmit morale boosting speeches to the soldiers in the trenches. The speeches included speeches of "La Pasionaria", (Ms. Isidora Dolores Ibárruri Gómez) - a Spanish Republican leader of the Spanish Civil War and communist politician of Basque origin. I am not aware whether this loudspeaker still exists or has been destroyed.

Source of info and more info:

• 17u.com (In Chineses) (English Translation)
• Xiamen Municipality Web Page
• CRIENGLISH.com
• womenofchina.cn

View location in Google Earth / Google Maps. (Note: The Giant Loudspeaker is not currently visible in the GE imagery. I have placemarked it arbitrarily and will correct it as and when better imagery of the area is available.)

Edit Note: Based on the additional information the text of the original post has been greatly modified. Earlier there was some doubt whether this is the largest loudspeaker or not, However the additional information confirms that it is The Largest.

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World's Largest Lenin's Head

A huge silhouette of Lenin's head in mountains near the Ukhta Railway Station, Komi Republic, Russia is the Largest Head of Lenin.

The 33-meter-high steel pipe sculpture was built in 1970 on Mount Vetlosyan. The sculpture is provided with metal balconies and staircases and one can climb right up to the top of the head.

During the Soviet era the silhouette head was interlaced series of 120, 15 kw light bulbs which are lit from sunset till dawn and the glowing head of Lenin was prominently visible to towns people as well as train travellers passing through the town. With end of Soviet Russia the monument fell in disrepair and lights went out of the head.

It is understood that the city authorities are now planning to restore the giant head, repair the platforms and observation deck and install the illuminated lights again.

Image from Panoramio is by Александр Усачев

Image from Panoramio is by vladimir.m

Image from Panoramio is by PeterSobolev

Image from Panoramio is by fm2

View location in Google Earth / Google Maps and Street View

Main source of information: Tahaya Gavan Blog

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Erawan Museum - World’s Largest Zoomorphic Building

The Erawan Museum on the outskirts of Bangkok in Thailand, in the shape of a 3 headed elephant, is an awe-inspiring ginormous hollow statue standing upon an equally large hollow pedestal.

The gigantic three headed elephant made of bronze weighs 250 tons, is 29 metres (95 ft.) tall, 39 metres (128 ft.) long and stands on a 15 meter (49 ft.) high pedestal. In comparison Lucy the Elephant which is often billed as the World’s biggest elephant is merely 19.7 metres (65 feet) tall and 18.3 metres (60 feet) long.

The interior of the museum is modelled after the Hindu/Buddhist mythological representation of the universe; the Underworld, Earth and Heaven. The museum has three floors; two floors representing the Underworld and the Earth are located inside the pedestal and the uppermost third floor representing the Heaven is located within the belly of the giant elephant.

Built by is late business tycoon Lek Viriyapant with the aim to create a space for his vast collection of Asian antiquities and to preserve them for posterity. It is worthwhile to note that the entire structure is a museum and not a temple but its interior is heavily decorated with Buddhist-Hindu iconography and designs.

The first floor representing the Underworld contains famous Thai painted porcelains Chinese vases from the Ming and Qinq dynasties, Chakri dynasty tea sets, jade ornaments, Chinese furniture and Vietnamese vases. It also showcases the history of the museum's construction by means of photographs and wall placards.

The second floor symbolizes the Earth is topped with a big dome made of crystal glass depicting World map, stars and Zodiac Signs. This level also represents Mount Meru (Mount Kailsah), the Axis Mundi of the Hindu-Buddhist cosmology. It houses more precious antiques and arts including ceramics and European pottery. At its centre piece, it has a statue of Bodhisatva Guanyin - the Chinese Goddess with a thousand arms. The walls and winding staircases at this level are richly decorated with diverse iconography and artistic gusto which includes hand-beaten copper work, Thai painted porcelains inlays, intricate relief work tableaus, and mural paintings.

The top (third) floor in the belly of the mammoth, represents the Heaven, which is believed to be located on top of Mount Meru in Buddhist cosmology. This floor contains relics of the Buddha and old Buddha statues in various postures from several eras including a walking Buddha. The walls are decorated with paintings depicting the cosmos. It also contains a Dali painting.

The Museum also has beautiful and lush tropical gardens with some rare flora, beautiful benches, sculptures, pavilions, rock ponds, mini waterfalls etc.

Image from Flickr is by Mike Behnken

Image from Flickr is by Kim Seng

Image from Flickr is by Mike Behnken

Image from Flickr is by Uwe Schwarzbach

Image from Wikimedia Commons is by Ddalbiez

Cosmos - The Stained glass ceiling depicting world map and zodiac signs, designed by German artist Jacob Schwarzkopf.

Image from Flickr is by Deepak Bhatia

Image from Flickr is by Mike Behnken

Image from Flickr is by ryan pikkel

Image from Flickr is by Kim Seng

Image from Flickr is by Will Will

Source of info and more info: Wikipedia / bangkok.com

Some great pictures at: migrationology.com

View location in Google Earth / Google Maps and Street View

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Gateway Arch - Highest Monument in USA

The Gateway Arch aka "Gateway to the West" is a huge stainless steel hollow arch in St. Louis, Missouri and is the focal point of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States. The arch is 192 metre (630 feet) wide and 192 m tall and is the tallest memorial in the United States and the tallest stainless steel monument in the world. The base (legs) of the arch are equilateral triangles with 16 metre (54 feet) side at the base which tapers to 5.2 metres (17 feet).

A special feature of the arch is the tram cars which travel inside the hollow section of the arch and take visitors to the observation deck at the top, from where, on a clear day, they can see the landscape up to 48 km (30 miles).

Designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and German-American structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel the arch was opened to public in 1967 and has since become an iconic symbol of the city.


Image from Flickr is by Dougtone

Image from Flickr is by Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, NPS

Image from Flickr is by United States Marine Corps Official Page

The arch with the old court house in front.

Image from Flickr is by StevenM_61

View from the Observation Deck of the Arch

Image from Flickr is by Kevin.Ward

View of Old Court House from the Observation Deck of the Arch

Image from Flickr is by pmschlenker

Main source of info and more info: Wikipedia

View location in Google Earth / Google Maps and Street View

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The Raclawice Panorama - One of World's Largest Circular Panoramic Paintings

The Raclawice Panorama in Wrocław, Poland is a huge 114x15 metre Circular Panoramic (Cycloramic or Cylindrical) painting showing the Battle of Raclawice which took place during the failed uprising (1794) by the poles against Imperial Russia for liberation of Poland. A viewer standing in the centre of the cylindrical painting has a 360° view of the panorama depicted in the painting and gets a feeling that he/she is standing in the midst of the historic battle.

The painting was created to commemorate the centenary of the uprising and 9 painters created this monumental painting which was installed in a specially created rotunda in Lviv (Lwów), Ukraine in 1894. The painters used special kind of perspective and additional effects, like lighting, artificial terrain etc. to create a feeling of reality.

After the end of Second world War it was moved to present location in Wroclaw, Poland.

The painting is one of the largest circular panoramic paintings in the World and is a big tourist attraction. It has even been visited by Pope John Paul II; Beatrix, the Queen of the Netherlands.

Google Maps

Google Street View

Image from Panoramio is by angelboromir

Image from Panoramio is by angelboromir

Image from Panoramio is by angelboromir

Image from Panoramio is by Grzegorz W.

Image from Panoramio is by Grzegorz W.


Source of info and more info: Wikipedia

View location in Google Earth / Google Maps and Street View

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World's Largest Terraced Paddy Fields, Yuen Yang, China

World's Largest Terraced Paddy Fields can be seen in the Yuan Yang, Honghe, Yunnan, China. The terraces decrease the surface run-off of rain waters and also prevent erosion of mountain soil and are therefore very efficient way of growing paddy crops which require large amount of water. The Hani people of the Yuan Yang region have been using this technique of cultivation since ancient times and have created a vast area of terraced paddy fields by manually digging up the dry mountain slopes. The rice terraces start from the summit of 2,500 metres high Ailao Mountains and go down about three hundred metres, right up to the Red River bed creating an amazing landscape of terraced steps spreading over several hundred hectares.

The rice in the region is harvested yearly in August/September, thereafter the terraced fields are gradually filled with water till the sowing season in April next year. The sunlight creates a hue colour on these sloping arrays of water filled terraced pools. In August/September when the crop is ready for harvesting the entire mountain face turns to golden yellow.

The spectacular terraces which look more of a gigantic painting than a real landscape are photographers delight. Chinese officials have billed these fields as World's Largest Man-made Land Art and are striving to get these the status of World Heritage Site. A look at the amazing images of these fields is an ample proof of their contention.

To fully appreciate the vastness of these fields, these must be viewed in Google Earth or Google Maps.

Image source: Google Maps

Image source: Google Maps

Image from Wikimedia Commons is by Jialiang Gao

Image from Flickr is by Fighting Irish 1977

Image from Panoramio is by pochiwoo

Image from Panoramio is by samberasam51

Image from Panoramio is by zw22wz

Image from Flickr is by sweart

View in Google Earth / Google Maps.

Main source of info:-- Wikipedia / chinahighlights.com

Credits: MadDonald, member, Google Earth Community for placemarking the location.

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