At the ceremony to start the construction of the Vinh Nghiem – Karlovy Vary pagoda in Czech Republic

Supported by the authorities in the Karlovy Vary region, the pagoda, designed in the typical Vietnamese Buddhism architecture, is being built on a 6,000 m2 area in Karlovy Vary town.

Speaking at the ceremony held on August 24, Nguyen Chi Hieu, First Secretary and head of the board for community work at the Vietnamese Embassy in Czech Republic, lauded the efforts made by the Buddhist community and organizations of overseas Vietnamese in the Czech Republic, as well as the assistance from the local authorities.

He hoped Vietnamese expatriates to promote their traditional values while integrating into the host society.

Jan Bures, a member of Karlovy Vary’s council, said as the region houses a large number of Vietnamese expats, he wished the building of the pagoda will boost mutual understanding between Vietnamese and Czech peoples. The official hoped it will become a spiritual destination for not only Vietnamese but also other communities.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency, Helena Hejnova, head of the region’s council for ethnic affairs, said she is happy to see a Vietnamese pagoda to be built here, hoping it to become a place for anyone who wants to learn about Buddhism and help Vietnamese integrate deeper into the Czech society.-VNA