Rio’s Christ statue tops World Cup tourist list

Top of the list of tourist attractions for visitors coming to Rio de Janeiro for the 2014 World Cup is likely to be the 30-metre-high Christ the Redeemer statue of Jesus Christ.

It perches on the summit of the 700-metre Corcovado mountain that overlooks Rio.

Constructed between 1926 and 1931, the 635-tonne Art Deco statue with its outstretched arms has become an icon for Rio and Brazil.

It looks down on a variety of attractions such as the Sugar Loaf, Rio’s old town, Ipanema, the beaches of Copacabana and the Maracana stadium where next year’s World Cup final takes place on July 13 in this football-crazy country.

Since taking his place in the Tijuca Forest National Park all those years ago, Christ the Redeemer has witnessed many…