Wichita ? A special, very large visitor is stopping in Wichita this week spreading a message of world peace.

An 8-foot-tall, 4.5-ton Buddha statue carved from jade arrived in Wichita Wednesday. It will be displayed at Wichita’s oldest Buddhist temple, Phap Hoa Temple, through Tuesday. An opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday afternoon.

The statue is carved from a boulder of jade discovered in 2000 in Canada. It will eventually be displayed at a temple in Australia, but not before a world tour expected to last several years.

Wichita State University professor Anh Tran says Buddhism is a religion of nonviolence, and the statue is helping to spread the message of peace.

The Wichita Eagle reports that the cost of the visit is $50,000 to $60,000.