Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue turns 80

Christ the Redeemer, a giant statue ranked among the New Seven Wonders of the World, was unveiled in a solemn ceremony on Oct. 12, 1931. It has now become a symbol of Rio de Janeiro and all of Brazil.

The statue stands 38 meters tall, including an eight-meter pedestal. It weighs 1,145 metric tons, with open arms that are 30 meters long.

Christ the Redeemer is one of the most popular monuments in the world.

At least 1.8 million tourists ascend to the foot of the statue annually.

Gorgeous views open up before you. The views of the city, the peak of Sugarloaf Mountain and the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches are truly unbeatable.

The statue can be reached by a miniature red train running uphill along Brazil’s first electrified railway. The other way to reach the top is to drive across the Tijuca Forest National Park. Photo: The Tijuca tropical forest and Corcovado Mountain with the monument on top.

Tijuca is the world’s largest urban park.

The statue was initially designed by artist Carlos Oswald. He proposed portraying Jesus Christ with his arms open in blessing. This also makes the monument look like a giant crucifix from a distance. The design was finalized by local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa. It took nine years to construct and was finally finished in 1931.

In 2007, the Christ the Redeemer Statue was selected as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.