As well as beautiful green spaces, Parisian parks hide many secrets. In the Bois de Vincennes, for example, you'll find a lovely pagoda housing a veritable treasure from Asia. Located in the heart of the Togo and Cameroon pavilions, remnants of the 1931 International Colonial Exhibition, this pagoda has become the headquarters of the Union bouddhiste de France , and houses Europe's highest Buddha and relics of the historical Buddha donated to France by Thailand in 2009.
After housing the Musée des Industries du Bois until 1971, the pagoda enclosure, which totals almost 8,000m2, also conceals the colorful Tibetan temple of Kagyu Eussel Tcheu Dzong,"the Citadel of Clear Light". When the site became the Great Pagoda, it provided a place for the many Southeast Asian refugees fleeing the dictatorship to preserve their traditions and religion.
A true Zen curiosity in the capital, the statue of Europe's largest Buddha is covered in gold leaf and measures, with its base, more than 9 meters high, an ensemble created by the engraver and sculptor François Mozès in the workshops of the painter Miro . The accompanying relics, located beneath the statue, come from Wat Saket in Bangkok and have been deposited at the Grande Pagode de Vincennes, making it the spiritual Mecca of Buddhism in Europe.
To observe it, it's not possible all year round, as the pagoda is not permanently open to the public. It is possible to visit it during Buddhist festivals, but also during seasonal events. Good to know, Europe's largest Buddhist temple is also in the Paris region, in Evry-Courcouronnes. And the Khanh Anh pagoda was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 2008!
Location
Grande Pagode du Bois de Vincenne
40 Route de Ceinture du Lac Daumesnil
75012 Paris 12
