A liquid crystal display element includes two substrates divided into a display region and a non-display region, between which liquid crystals are sandwiched, and first columnar spacers, disposed between the two substrates in the display region, which make contact with the two substrates. The liquid crystal display element also includes second columnar spacers, disposed between the two substrates in the non-display region, which make contact with the two substrate by a contact area that is smaller than a contact area by which the first columnar spacers make contact with the two substrates. Therefore, generation of vacuum bubbles in the display region due to a temperature drop or a substrate deformation causes the substrates in the non-display region to be concaved, so that the liquid crystals move from the concaved portion of the non-display region to a portion of the display region which contains the vacuum bubbles. As a result, the vacuum bubbles in the display region can be filled with the liquid crystals, so that the vacuum bubbles can be eliminated from the display region.