Text / Compiled and reported by Liao Qiyu, Editorial Department of MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network

 

The mysterious Easter Island is most memorable for the scattered Moai stone statues across the island. Easter Island (Easter Island / Isle De Pascua) (also known as Easter Island) belongs to the territory of Chile (Chile), locally known as Rapa Nui or Isla de Pascua. It was discovered in 1772 by a Dutchman named Roggeveen, located in the eastern waters of the Polynesian archipelago, covering an area of about forty-five square miles. The island has two extinct volcanoes, is covered with volcanic rock, has no trees, and is home to approximately six hundred giant stone statues called Moai.

The Moai statues (called Moai) are made from volcanic rock found on the island. Around the volcanic craters, you can see many statues either in the process of being carved or already completed — some are full figures, some are half-bodied, and some only show half a face. Most of the statues have fallen. It is estimated that there are 600 statues in the volcanic area, and about 70 can still be seen standing today, which is quite spectacular.

Early Easter Islanders transported the statues from the volcanic craters to the coastal areas, with several sites being particularly popular.For example, the famous Ahu Akivi near the western coast features seven Moai, each with different appearances. This is the only site where the statues face the ocean, as if they are gazing at the sea.Another notable location is Ahu Tongariki, located on the eastern side of the island near the Rano Raraku volcanic crater. From the volcano, you can see a row of giant statues standing along the coastline, with white waves crashing ashore — a truly breathtaking scene.Ahu Tongariki is home to 15 giant statues, and this site also has the largest ceremonial platform on the entire island.

Each Moai statue varies in size, standing between twenty-three to sixty feet tall and weighing around fifteen metric tons. They were carved from large blocks of solid volcanic rock.What’s intriguing is how the early inhabitants managed to transport them from the volcanic craters to other locations. Some statues were found lying unfinished in the quarry, while others were in the process of being moved but not yet erected. It seems that all of these activities were suddenly halted halfway. Why were they abandoned midway? And what was the purpose of carving these statues? To this day, many mysteries surrounding the Moai statues remain unsolved.

It is generally believed that the “Moai” statues not only served to commemorate ancestors and seek blessings, but also functioned as territorial markers.Therefore, when later tribes fought over the island's dwindling resources, the victorious side would often topple and destroy the “Moai” statues of the defeated. Some also believe it was because the islanders later felt the statues no longer protected them. Regardless, eventually, all the “Moai” statues fell as the Easter Island civilization declined. The standing statues seen on the island today were re-erected in modern times by locals and the government.

 

Research shows that Easter Island was once densely forested, but due to deforestation, reckless land clearing by residents, and the hunting of birds that helped disperse tree seeds, the island’s natural resources were exhausted. Later, tribal wars erupted over the remaining scarce resources.The famous decline of Easter Island is often cited as a cautionary tale, warning modern society that if we continue to recklessly exploit Earth’s resources and destroy the ecosystem, we may end up like Easter Island — leaving behind a civilization that leaves future generations pondering.

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