Located in the village of Bullet in Canton Vaud, the complex dedicated to Taoism hopes to welcome 2,000 unique visitors per year.
“We wanted to build this centre to fill a gap; no other place in Europe has brought the various Taoist arts together in one place,” doctor and founder Fabrice Jordan said.
Centre Ming Shan – which means “mountain of clarity” – aims to build bridges between Eastern tradition and Western modernity. It will explore the fields of health, prevention, spiritual development and philosophy, especially in collaboration with Chinese masters.
In association with the EPFL+ECAL Lab – a joint research project between the federal technology institute and the University of Art and Design in Lausanne – Ming Shan will also study the links between meditation and cognitive science. Interactive devices will capture the physiological data of people meditating (breathing, heart rate) and convert it into lights and sounds.
The new complex has 60 beds and can cater for an additional 30 people, including hikers or other day visitors. It has 12 employees. The centre cost an estimated CHF5 million ($5.01 million) to build, 40% of which was covered by federal and local funds. The official inauguration is planned for next year.
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The Jewish cemetery in no man’s land
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How did the largest and oldest Jewish cemetery in Switzerland come to lie in a wooded no man’s land between the villages of Endingen and Lengnau?
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Ex-employee of Bank Pictet convicted of money laundering
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The Geneva-based bank Pictet has been fined CHF2 million for shortcomings in its organisation which enabled a former asset manager to commit serious money laundering.
20 Minuten: last Swiss free daily to stop being printed
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From the end of the year, there will no longer be a daily free newspaper in Switzerland: the TX Group is discontinuing the print version of "20 Minuten". Up to 80 full-time positions are to be cut in the editorial and publishing departments.
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The Swiss population is in favour of compulsory military service and closer ties with NATO. These are the findings of the "Security 2025" study.
Irregular migration to Switzerland halves year-on-year
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Irregular migration to Switzerland has decreased significantly. The figures from January to May show that only half as many illegal stays were recorded compared to the same period last year.
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The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is to cut around 3,500 jobs as a result of financial cuts linked in particular to US decisions. Hundreds of temporary contracts will also be cut, the UN agency said in Geneva on Monday.
Swiss government to help cantons in expelling rejected asylum-seekers
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The federal government is to provide greater relief and support to the cantons when it comes to deporting people who are not entitled to asylum in Switzerland.
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One in four people in Switzerland feels stressed often or almost always. Among the under-30s, the figure is as high as 40%.
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The permafrost in the Swiss Alps is thawing faster and faster. The thawed top layers of permafrost have never been as thick as they were last year. This is shown by the latest data from the Swiss permafrost monitoring network Permos.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
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Do imams need Swiss training?
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Many imams at Swiss mosques spend only a few years in Switzerland, and have little understanding of how Muslims here actually live.
Dalai Lama begins Swiss visit at House of Religions
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In Bern on Wednesday, the Tibetan spiritual leader was formally invited by the House of Religions, a meeting and worship centre for multiple religious communities, including Buddhists. It is “not an official visit” on a governmental level, as Regula Buchmüller, the head of the city of Bern’s foreign relations and statistics office told the Berner…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.