A pagoda? In Paris? Absolutely. In the mid-19th Century, Paris (and Europe and America) fell in love with all things Japanese. Think Admiral Perry and the “opening” of Japan. Suddenly, woodblock prints, flat perspectives, elegant washes of color, gorgeous kimonos, exotic eroticism, and pagodas were hot! And, in 1895, a loving husband had an entire pagoda dismantled, shipped from Japan, and reassembled in Paris near the Hotel des Invalides (7th arrondissement), just to please his wife. It was clearly a fashion statement, since he was one of the executives of the Bon Marche, the Colette of its era.
Today, La Pagode still stands. It’s wood and stained glass, with stone carvings of buddhas, lions, dragons, and so on. It’s set back from the street, behind an iron fence, so it looks mysterious and exotic, inviting and yet private. Since the 1930’s, it has been a cinema with a small salon de the set in the garden. It features art films, international films, and the like. Sometimes you just want to see a movie, but if you’re in Paris it should be a Parisian experience, n’est-ce pas?
La Pagode is still somewhat off the tourist track, even though it’s close to the Musee Rodin. Picture this: a lovely walk through the Rodin Museum and sculpture garden, followed by tea and something luscious at La Pagode and, perhaps, a movie. Enjoy!