Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park (Indonesian: Taman Budaya Garuda Wisnu Kencana), or GWK, is a tourist destination and attraction located at Ungasan, Badung on the island of Bali, Indonesia, about 10–15 minutes drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport.
Owned and managed by Alam Sutera Realty, Tbk, the construction of the 120.9 m (397 ft) statue of Vishnu riding his mount Garuda was completed in August 2018.
[2] Designed to be Indonesia’s tallest statue, Garuda Wisnu Kencana was inspired by a story from Hindu mythology about the search for Amrita (the elixir of life).
[3] According to that, Garuda agreed to be ridden by Lord Visnu in return for the right to use the elixir to liberate his enslaved mother.
The idea for the monument was not without controversy, and religious authorities on the island complained that its massive size might disrupt the spiritual balance of the island, and that its commercial nature was inappropriate, but some groups approve of the project, because it will be a new tourist attraction on barren land.