Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network Editorial Department, compiled and reported by Liao Qiyu

 

The mysterious Easter Island is most memorable for the scattered Moai statues across the island. Easter Island (Isle De Pascua) (also called Easter Island) belongs to the territory of Chile (Chile). Known locally 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, it covers an area of about 45 square miles. The island has two extinct volcanoes, is covered with volcanic rock, has no trees, and is home to around 600 giant stone statues known as Moai.

The Moai statues are made from volcanic rock found on the island. Around the volcanic craters, you can see many statues in various stages of carving—some fully formed human figures, some only half-carved, and others just showing half a face. Most of the statues have fallen. It is estimated that there are 600 statues in the volcanic area, and about 70 still stand today, creating a spectacular sight.

Early inhabitants of Easter Island 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—the only ones on the island that face the ocean, seemingly gazing out at the sea.Another site 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 massive statues standing along the shoreline, with white waves crashing against the coast—a truly breathtaking scene.Ahu Tongariki is home to 15 giant statues, and it also has the largest ceremonial platform on the entire island.

Each Moai varies in size, standing approximately 23 to 60 feet tall and weighing about 15 metric tons. They were carved from large blocks of solid volcanic rock.What’s fascinating is how the early inhabitants managed to transport these statues from the volcanic craters to other locations. Some statues were found lying unfinished in the quarries, while others were in transit but not yet erected—suggesting that all work may have been abruptly halted. Why were they left unfinished? And what was the purpose of carving these statues? Many mysteries about the Moai remain unsolved to this day.

It is generally believed that the Moai served not only to commemorate ancestors and seek blessings but also to assert territorial sovereignty.Therefore, when later tribes fought over the island’s dwindling resources, the victors would often topple and destroy the Moai of the defeated. Some also believe it was because the islanders later felt the Moai could no longer protect them. In any case, all the Moai eventually fell as Easter Island’s 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 covered in dense forests, but deforestation and reckless land clearing by the islanders, along with the hunting of birds that helped disperse tree seeds, led to the exhaustion of natural resources. Later, tribal wars broke out over the remaining scarce resources.The famous decline of Easter Island is often cited as a cautionary tale, warning modern people 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 future generations can only ponder.

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