[1][2][3] The statue is accessible from the car park at Cristo Rei Beach, on the south side of the cape, inside the Bay of Dili, via a 570-step concrete staircase shaded by trees.

[3][7] The idea of constructing the Cristo Rei statue was proposed by José Abílio Osório Soares, then the Governor of East Timor, to President Suharto.

However, that was not sufficient to erect the statue, and contributions from East Timorese civil servants and businessmen were needed to complete the project, which eventually cost more than 5 billion rupiah (US$559,000).

[8] Taking that terrain and calculations of the very strong local winds into account, Bolil designed the statue and made a prototype of it.

The face of the statue proved to be difficult to render; after much effort, including consultation with the Communion of Churches in Indonesia headquarters in Jakarta, the artist gravitated towards Greek and Roman facial features, and aimed at simplicity.

A bamboo frame was installed at the site to facilitate the lifting of the copper sections, each of which weighed 100–200 kg (220–440 lb), up to the 100 m-high (330 ft) peak.

[9]: 160  It is the source of considerable native pride,[9]: 160  and, as "... an iconic symbol of the country and its Capital City of Dili ...",[12] is now a haunt of locals as well as being one of East Timor's main tourist attractions.

[1][13] Even Gusmão has changed his position; while he was serving as Prime Minister of East Timor between 2007 and 2015, his government supported the renovation of the statue.

[8] Visitors climbing the staircase from Cristo Rei Beach to the statue pass 14 stations, which are places of prayer for Catholics.