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Maze of the Week #231 features the Tian Tan Buddha located on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. This large Buddha was completed in 1993, is made of bronze, and 34 m (112 ft) tall.
The maze: I made this as a black and white maze. The maze was made in 1993 and features a swastika on the chest. I revised it. Seems weird they included it for something made in 1993.
Download is available on the home page. Happy Maze-ing !
Other blog posts you may enjoy:
We have covered how to draw both classical and square shapes of labyrinths previously. Today I will take you through the steps to draw a new shape, a circular labyrinth. Today we look at how to digitally make a 5 Circuit Circular Labyrinth. This method is a draw and cut method, meaning you will be making edits that remove lines you have previously drawn as you move thru the steps. You could also use this with method using a pencil with a an eraser ! Let’s get started.
Step 1: Draw 6 Concentric Circles
Draw 6 concentric circles each an equal distance between one another and centered around the middle circle. The middle circle will become the labyrinths goal. You will notice from the example that exactly one more circle would fit into the center of the figure, that would create a very small center.
Step 2: Draw the 7 Inner Walls
I could break this into more steps but there are 7 straight lines that form inner walls and pathways. See the example. At 12 o’clock create 2 lines, leaving only the center pathway open. At 3 o’clock add a 2 pathway wall to block circles between 2 and 4. Use 2 lines to draw a pathway from the center to the bottom edge (notice neither are at 6 o’clock). Add an additional line to the left starting from circle 2 that will become the entrance. Add a line at 9 o’clock blocking the pathways between circles 3 and 5.
Step 3: Add Pathways Where Needed
Refer to the picture and add pathways where needed, erasing portions of the circles. There are many, and depending on how you draw/erase them the number can change.
That completes the drawing of a 5 Circuit Circular Labyrinth. Well at least this version of it !
ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION OPTIONS
Now I should let you know that there are multiple possible options to configure this labyrinth. You can read about 6 different versions of a 9 circuit circular labyrinth that also apply to 5 circuit circular labyrinths. Let’s take a look at what a 5 circuit circular labyrinth would look like if made with 1/2/3/4/8 and 12 sections. If you were to walk these labyrinths in the physical world this could also be referred to be the number of turnback’s instead of sections.
6 different options for 5 circuit circular labyrinths
Here is a visual to show what I mean by sections:
Showing “sections” of the labyrinth constructions
The one that you choose is really your personal preference. I prefer the 4 section version. 1 section is a bit boring, while the 12 section looks a bit busy and would not be very much fun to walk. While I do not have individual instructions for these versions, the basic instructions remain the same as above. Step 1 is the exact same, with changes to where lines and drawn and erased in steps 2/3. While the math is easy for these versions of the circular labyrinth (360 degrees / # sections determines the placement of the sectioned walls) you could easily create other #’s of sections using the same formula of 360 / #sections desired.
5 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
REAL WORLD CIRCULAR LABYRINTH EXAMPLES
As part of a large research product on labyrinths in the US I was able to find a few circular labyrinths you can visit to see examples in person:
The Medicinehat Medicinals Labyrinth in Deming, NM is a 5 circuit circular labyrinth made of earth and rocks. It has a 65 foot diameter and can be visited with an appointment.
The Lakeside Lavender and Herbs, LLC Labyrinth in La Porte, IN is a 5 circuit circular labyrinth made with lavender plants with stone pathways. It has a 62 foot diameter and can be visited with an appointment.
If you prefer making a different type of labyrinth, you can find step by step labyrinth making instructions. Including:
Today we look at how to digitally make a 7 Circuit Circular Labyrinth. This method is a draw and cut method, meaning you will be making edits that remove lines you have previously drawn as you move thru the steps. It is possible to use a drawing only method but I think it is much more complicated with many more steps. Let’s get started. I should also mention that this is an improved method which creates a 4 section labyrinth (you can make many different versions of a circular labyrinth by cutting it into slices - examples below).
Step 1: Draw 8 Concentric Circles
Draw 8 concentric circles each an equal distance between one another and centered around the middle circle. The middle circle will become the labyrinths goal.
Step 2: Draw the 4 Inner Walls
I could break this into more steps but there are 4 straight lines that form inner walls and pathways at the turn around points. See the example. At 12 o’clock create 1 line from the center goal blocking paths but the outer one. At 3 o’clock add a line to block all but the inner pathway next to the goal. Use 2 lines to draw a pathway from the center to the bottom edge (notice neither are at 6 o’clock, but they are centered). The left line is drawn across all circles. The right line goes across all pathways but the final one. Add a line at 9 o’clock blocking all pathways except the one next to the goal.
Step 3: Add Pathways Where Needed
Refer to the picture and add pathways where needed, erasing portions of the circles. There are many, and depending on how you draw/erase them the number can change. They are all at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’ clock.
That completes the drawing of a 7 Circuit Circular Labyrinth.
7 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
My original version of the 7 circuit circular labyrinth is below. I made it using a shortcut, which you also could use if you prefer this look better (obviously I do not, because I re-did this entire post for the new version !). Draw a 5 Circuit Circular Labyrinth, add two more concentric circles, extend the left center line to the bottom edge and create the exit. It’s easy to write in a sentence, but much more difficult to do ! Good Luck !
Here is a look at what the labyrinth could you like if you want to make it with different sections. I am re-using the illustration I made for the 5 circuit circular labyrinth. It shows the 1, 2, 3, 12, 8, and 6 section versions which could also be created. I tend to always gravitate towards 4 sections, then 2. 1 seems a bit boring and 12 seems like too many to me. For a full look at this subject I did a blog post using the 9 circuit circular labyrinth.
If you like the mathematics of this did you notice that the 3 section is the only one where the initial entrance into the labyrinth goes to the center first before the back and forth begins. What other sectionals would require this ? A 5 section ?
Also, you when creating circular labyrinths you can mix sections by level as I showed above… the outside is one section while other levels are 2 and 4. You have flexibility in the design. In the end symmetrical versions tend to look the most pleasing.
REAL WORLD LABYRINTH EXAMPLES
You can find circular labyrinths to walk in the real world. Here are a few examples:
The St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Labyrinth in Montevallo, AL is an outstanding example of a 7 circuit circular labyrinth. It is made with brick and gravel.
The View Ridge Elementary School Labyrinth in Seattle, WA is another great otter mascot logo in the center of the labyrinth.
I also found this video if you want to attempt creating your own: How do I make this labyrinth in the physical world ?
Step by step instructions on how to make other digital labyrinths. Including:
How to draw a 5 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
Each Saturday I post a new hard maze with all of them sitting in the Hard Maze Archive. I will try to post a variety of maze types to keep things interesting.
Weekly Hard Maze #21 - Color Grid Maze
A Color Grid Maze is a type of conditional maze. You move from block to block by moving color to color and can move in any direction. Solution will be in the archive. Download is below.
If you solved that maze quickly and want to try some of my archival hard mazes, these posts should do the trick: