12 August 2005
Dalai Lama visit declared huge success
Swissinfo has declared the Dalai Lama's visit to Switzerland was "a bigger hit than expected". 30,000 people attended the religious leader's teachings, raising SFr350,000 (£152,869; €225,763; US$ 274,369.94) for Swiss, Tibetan and international charities, to be named at a later date. About 7,800 weekly passes and up to 12,000 day tickets were sold for the Buddhist teachings at Zurich's Hallenstadion. 10,000 people came to a public speech on the subject of compassion on 7 August. The Chinese embassy in Bern condemned Swiss interior minister Pascal Couchepin's meeting with the Dalai Lama, accusing the Tibetan spiritual leader of engaging in "anti-China activities" under the "cloak of religion".