The Dambulla Golden Temple sits at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the Royal Cave Temple. It is topped by a 30m statue of golden Buddha which is one of the largest Buddha statues in the world. At the foot of the Golden Buddha is Golden Temple Buddhist Museum housing exhibits of Buddha donated from around the world.
Construction on the statue began in 1998 and was completed in 2001. It was made with concrete and bricks and then plated with gold.