Lyon St-Just St-Irénée, Fort Saint-Irénée

Fort Saint-Irénée, built 1831-1841, was made available to the University of Lyon which set up the Franco-Chinese Institute; between 1921 and 1946 it prepared 473 Chinese students for graduate studies in Lyon of whom 118 defended doctoral theses. Above the entrance porch of the fort, you will see an inscription in French with its translation in Chinese ideograms, a testimony of this unique educational experience in the West.