The Fréjus Pagoda is a place of worship, built in 1917 at the instigation of Colonel Lame and inaugurated by the municipal authorities on April 6, 1919, the Mayor being Marius Coullet. It is the oldest Pagoda in Europe. It was founded by Troupes Coloniales soldiers from Asia. To acclimatize before going to the front, they were billeted in Camp Gallieni. Named after General Gallieni (1849 - 1916), who was appointed Minister of War, from 1915 he created the Camps du Sud-Est, camps for Colonial Troops based in Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël. These troops naturally felt the need to have a place of worship to practice their religion and bury their dead in accordance with tradition. A cemetery, no longer in existence, also existed here. Between 1965 and 1967, the bones were transferred to the Nécropole Nationale de Luynes.
This pagoda was built in accordance with traditional Vietnamese architecture, under the aegis of the venerable Tich Thanh Vuc, Buddhist chaplain. It is called Hong Hien Tu (Pagoda of the Proud Hong Lac Race). Subsequently neglected for lack of maintenance, it fell into ruin and was saved from abandonment by Vietnamese refugees in 1954, before an association was formed in 1967. Subsequently, the original temple was enlarged, new buildings were erected and, with the support of Buddhists from other regions of France, renovation was completed in 1972.
In 1984, it became one of the founders of the World Buddhist Order. Today, it is a private property, acquired from the French Ministry of Defense, belonging to the "Centre Bouddhique Pagode Hong Hien" association.
A building for worship, reception and library was built in 1978. In 1979, following the acquisition of the 6,100 m2 plot, other projects followed, including, in 1988, the construction of the An Lac Tower (Tower of Eternal Tranquility), for the ashes of the faithful.
Dozens of statues have adorned the site, including the acquisition in 1979 of a two-metre statue weighing 1.5 tonnes, cast in Bangkok, representing the future Buddha Siddhartha Gantana in meditation, installed under a Ficus tree where he had sheltered for 49 days of meditation before attaining enlightenment. Shortly afterwards, a venerable priest at the Pagoda sculpted the Buddha who had entered Nirvana (paradise) in the reclining position, the largest reclining Buddha in Europe (10 metres long).
No one knows precisely when Buddha's earthly life ended. He was around 80 years old. The venerable sculptor also carved Buddha giving his first sermon to 5 disciples and the statue depicting Buddha's birth in the 6th century BC. According to Sri Lankan historical chronicles, he was born in 624 BC in Benares and died in Kusinagara.
In the heart of this park, you'll discover a replica, made in Hué, of the bell (2.50 meters high, 2 tons) from the Temple of the Heavenly Lady in Hué, the ancient imperial city.
The Buddhist flag, created in 1880 and adopted in Sri Lanka in 1950, dominates this pagoda. It represents the colors of the rainbow. Each color represents :
Blue: meditation
Yellow: thought
Red: energy
White: serene faith
Orange: intelligence (blend of the four colors)
6th band, vertical: non-discrimination
The Buddhist tradition is divided into two main branches: Hinayana or "small vehicle" and Mahayana or "large vehicle". The "small vehicle" tradition is traditionalist and conservative, while the "large vehicle" tradition is more modernist and more open to lay practitioners. At the Pagode de Fréjus, it's the "large vehicle" tradition that's in force.
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The Pays de Fayence (Fayence district) has many great provencal villages. All of them have a particularity such as the view from Mons or the artistic streets of Tourrettes. Do no forget to stop in Seillans that has the label of "Most beautiful village in France"
North of the A8 motorway, you will find the Pays de Fayence. Saint-Cassien lake, a real oasis of freshness in the Var, awaits you! Take a break at the Lake House before visiting the villages of Bagnols-en-Forêt, St-Paul-en-Forêt or Tanneron.
The city of Roquebrune-sur-Argens is the most westerly of the destination. It includes three districts: La Bouverie, at the foot of Gorges du Blavet; The village, overlooked by its magnificent rock, and Les Issambres, with its nautical activities by the sea.
Les Adrets de l'Estérel is a small town located at the extreme southeastern Var. Bordering the Maritimes Alpes, it is composed of large green forests. The town overlooks the bay of Cannes and has an exceptional view on the Lérins Islands and the Corniche de l'Estérel.
Puget sur Argens is a small village located in the middle of many wineries. Its commercial area, near the village, includes many shopping center. North of the village, the Bois du Defens give rise to several walks.
Welcome to Les Issambres, the district of Roquebrune-sur-Argens located on the coast. True paradise with its 8 km of beaches and creeks, this family seaside resort, already frequented at the time by the Romans, is located between the Gulf of Saint-Tropez and Fréjus-Saint Raphaël.
Frejus, located halfway between Cannes and Saint-Tropez, is at the heart of the Côte d'Azur. Based on a sandstone buttress of the Esterel massif, the town dominates the valleys of Argens and Reyran. Frejus has the appearance of a small Provencal town whose new districts extend to the sea.
65km from Nice Côte d'Azur International Airport, Saint-Raphaël is located between Cannes and Saint-Tropez. This seaside resort on the Mediterranean coast is at the bottom of the great Esterel mountains. Saint Raphael, whose city center is by the sea, is divided into different neighborhoods that have all their characteristics and their personalities.
