Linh Son, the Buddhist pagoda in Joinville-le-Pont (94)

Hardly out of the Joinville-le-Pont station (served by the RER A from the main Paris RER hubs), a building with a mustard-yellow façade rises up before you. This relatively unconventional architecture for a downtown of Île-de-France is the Linh Son Pagoda, a Buddhist temple situated in Joinville-le-Pont.

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What sets this pagoda apart is that it functions both as a monastère and as a lieu de culte. In fact, around twenty monks and nuns live there year-round (according to L'Harmattan). While the temple officially opened in 1984 after the building was completed, since 1975 the association culturelle Linh Son has been developing the project. Bringing together people of Vietnamese origin, the aim was to establish in Joinville-le-Pont a temple akin to those found in the Pays du Dragon.

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Inaugurated by Venerable Thich Huyen Vi, a monk of Vietnamese origin, the Joinville-le-Pont temple also serves as the worldwide headquarters of the Linh Son World Buddhist Congregation, which brings together around fifty affiliated temples across the globe.

The temple is open to all, free of charge; however, exact hours are not known and may change. It is highly recommended to call before you go to confirm whether the temple will be open. After your visit, don’t miss a stroll to the Île Fanac, a truly bucolic spot, or a dip in the summer swim in the Marne!

That said, a word of caution: Linh Son Pagoda is a place of worship. Visitors should act with respect toward the site and its devotees, and dress appropriately (check beforehand). Also, always ask before taking photos or videos inside a sacred space.

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.