News Brazil’s New Statue of Jesus Will Be Taller Than Rio's Christ the Redeemer Visitors will be able to take an elevator into this statue of Christ's heart. By Rachel Chang Rachel Chang Instagram Twitter Website Rachel Chang is a travel and pop culture journalist who grew up in the California Bay Area and now lives in New York City (well, Hoboken, New Jersey). She's a solo travel advocate, dumpling addict, and reluctant runner — who managed to finish the NYC marathon three times. She's also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Romania and Poland. Rachel started her editorial career chasing celebrities as a magazine editor (Popstar associate editor, CosmoGirl entertainment editor, J-14 editor-in-chief, Us Weekly senior editor). Along the way, she also started chasing passport stamps and is now a freelance writer and editor contributing to Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, and The Washington Post, among others. She also edits standalone entertainment and travel magazines. Prior to this, she worked in television publicity at The WB Television Network, and also interned at Nickelodeon and "Dawson's Creek." * 25+ years of media experience in television, magazines, and digital brands * 20+ years of editorial experience as a journalist, writer, and editor * TaiwaneseAmerican.org's 100 Passionate People Pioneer * Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Professional Gallery Wall of Fame * Received a bachelor's degree in communication studies from the University of California, Los Angeles * Received a master's degree in magazine, newspaper, and online journalism from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications * Completed writing courses through UCLA Extension, Media Bistro, Gotham Writers Workshop, Yale Writers' Workshop, and the Highlights Foundation * Founding executive board member of the alumni group Newhouse 44 and still serves as a member * 15+ years of experience as a judge for the Mirror Awards Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on April 13, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Ever since it was completed in 1931, the Christ the Redeemer statue has stood atop Mount Corcovado overlooking Rio de Janeiro. At 98 feet tall, it sits on a 26-foot pedestal with an arm span of 92 feet. But by the end of this year, it will no longer be the tallest statue of Jesus in Brazil. The new Cristo Encantado statue, called Christ the Protector, will overshadow the Rio landmark's total height of 124 feet by 16 feet, coming in at 140 feet overall, according to the Associação Amigos de Cristo (Friends of Christ Association) building it. Located in the small town of Encantado in Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, the new attraction hopes to bring more travelers to the area. SILVIO AVILA/AFP via Getty Designed by sculptor Genesio Gomes Moura (Ceara) and his son, Markus Moura, the $2 million Brazilian real (about $350,000) project, which started in July 2019, will have an elevator inside leading to the statue's heart at about 112 feet. "It will be a glass opening where people will be able to film and photograph the Valley," the project's general supervisor Artur Lopes de Souza said in a statement on the official site. The site also says the iron-and-concrete statue is slated to be completed by the end of the year, with the arms and head being put into position last Tuesday. The organization is soliciting donations to finish the construction, with donors' names being presented in plates for amounts starting at $1,000 Brazilian real (about $175). When completed, this will be the third-largest Jesus Christ statue on the planet, the Cristo Encantado sites says, only topped by Mexico's Cristo de la Paz, which is about 249 feet tall, and Poland's Estátua de Cristo Rei, which stands at about 172 feet. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit