Built on a hillside meadow in Hungary, the Zalaszántó Stupa is one of the biggest Buddhist stupas in Europe. The stupa gets its name from the village it is located in. It was built in the early 1990s by a Buddhist South Korean monk named Bop Jon and the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso inaugurated it in 1993.
The monk wanted to establish a Buddhist shrine in one of the former socialist countries to symbolize happiness and peace in a changed country. Upon finding that the hill had never been inhabited before, he started his project financed by donations.
The Zalaszántó Stupa is 30 meters tall and 24 meters wide, which makes it one of the biggest of its kind in Europe. Built on the 316-metre-high Világosvár Hill, the snow-white stupa is the only sanctuary in Europe containing a relic of Buddha. Inside the building, there are teachings of Buddha, a 24-meter-high tree of life. The stepped structure of the stupa refers to the Buddhist tradition of clockwise circumambulation which is a sign of respect. The Zalaszántó Stupa is also known as the Peace Stupa of Zalaszántó. The site of the stupa is decorated with prayer flags and was named the Park of Human Rights.
The stupa was renovated in 2007 and later a meditation center was added. There is also a souvenir shop.
