LANCASTER, Calif. (AP) - The mayor of Lancaster says a Chinese company wants to build a 10-story-tall statue of the Buddha in the Southern California desert community.
Mayor R. Rex Parris told the Antelope Valley Press that the company - which he won’t name - is willing to spend $31 million to build the statue and a cultural center. He says the company contacted city officials about two months ago.
Parris says a Buddha would bring thousands of visitors a year to Lancaster, especially since it’s on a route to Las Vegas, which draws Asian tourists.
A 112-foot-tall Buddha completed in 1993 in Hong Kong has become one of that city’s biggest tourist attractions.
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