The Biggest Buddha Statue in Europe

Following a recent €1m facelift the Grande Pagode by the Lac Daumesnil in the Bois de Vincennes has re-opened. The building, hidden in a wood on the outskirts of Paris is an African pavilion-turned-pagoda and houses the largest Buddha in Europe.

Originally built in 1931 as the Cameroon pavilion for the international colonial exhibition it was constructed to resemble a traditional African home – but three times the size. The site was then acquired by France’s International Buddhist Institute and transformed into the Grande Pagode, home to the 10-metre-high (33ft) golden buddha statue, which was created in six parts in Spanish artist Joan Miró’s atelier and reassembled in situ.