The Buddha Gautama statue, the largest of its kind in France made of jade, has been placed at the Truc Lam pagoda in Villebon sur Yvette in the suburbs of Paris.

The ceremony took place on Feb. 8 in the lunar calendar which was the day when Buddha Gautama gave up the royal life as a prince to seek the path to eradicate misery for all.

With a height of almost one metre and weighing 270 kg, the statue was presented by Buddhist follower, Dang Thi Bich Hoa.

Addressing the event, Vietnam Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son said this event is a symbol of solidarity between Vietnamese people and the Vietnamese community in Paris.

He said he hopes that Truc Lam pagoda will be a convergence place for not only overseas Vietnamese Buddhist followers in Paris but also many from other countries who come here to pray for peace and prosperity.-VNA