Pagode Thien Minh, SAINTE-FOY-LèS-LYON

Whether you are a sympathiser or practising, if you defend it as a philosophy or a way of life, you have to admit that Buddhism has spread widely in Europe over the past few years. Large retreat centres have been created near Lyon (Karma Ling in Savoie, the temple of the thousand Buddhas in Bourgogne). The Vietnamese tradition of Buddhism has founded a centre in Saint-Foy-les-Lyon in the south west of Lyon. The architecture of the pagoda is very distant from that of the council flats around it! The visitor is welcomed by two dragons that protect the monumental stairway. This is a way of initiation through which everyone can come and pray under the eyes of the Buddha. The temple organises a festival for the Vietnamese New Year.