Ghosts of France’s colonial past
linger in Paris’s Tropical Gardens
The Bois de Vincennes park in southeastern Paris is a favourite destination for Parisians seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. One corner of the park was once a centrepiece of France’s colonial ambitions and identity, including a tropical agricultural research centre, France’s first mosque and a wartime hospital for colonial soldiers. On the centenary of the First World War, FRANCE 24 looks back on the gardens’ remarkable, controversial and forgotten history.
