Benzilan Town in Deqin County, Diqing
Attraction Overview
Benzilan refers to “beautiful sand dam” in Tibetan. Located in Deqin County, Diqing Prefecture, Yunnan Province, at the foot of Baimang Snow Mountain, on the west bank of Jinsha River, facing Shangri-La City and Derong County of Sichuan Province across Jinsha River, Benzilan is the only way to the “the Ancient Tea Horse Road”.
Chinese Name: 奔子栏(Pinyin: Benzilan)
Altitude: 6,740 meters
Location: in the southeast of the county of Deqin County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province
Why is Benzilan Town So Special?
Benzilan is an important traffic route from ancient times to the present. What’s more, there are many attractions around Benzian, such as Meili Snow Mountain, regarded by the public as the best spot to catch the fascinating sight of Meili Snow Mountain at sunrise or sunset. It’s a vital place to get into Yubeng Village, Baima Snow Mountain, Dongzhulin Temple, and Mingyong Glacier.
Where is Benzilan Town – Location
Benzilan is located at the foot of Baimang Snow Mountain, on the west bank of Jinsha River, facing Shangri-La City and Derong County of Sichuan Province across Jinsha River, Benzilan is the only way to the “the Ancient Tea Horse Road”.
How to Get There?
All of the long-distance buses from Shangri-La to Deqin Coutny pass through the town, for Benzilan at 2:30 a.m. from Feima (horse statue). In fact the mid-point lunch stop is often taken a mere five minutes south of Benzilan.
Accommodate at Benzilan Town
There are a growing number of hostels and guest houses in Benzilan. They are different in standards and types, and also have wide price ranges. It’s a better choice to stay there rather than Deqin County. Tourists can enjoy a fabulous view of Benzilan.
Attractions Nearby
Dongzhulin Monastery
Built in 1667 and located in Benzilan Town of Deqin, Dongzhulin Monastery is the largest one of the three Gelu Sect monasteries in Deqin County and one of the religious cultural activity centers in Kangnan District. With orderly-distributing architecture complex, the lofty monastery can be mistakenly deemed a town when looked from the distance.
The Moon-shaped Bend of Jinsha River
Also called the Great Bend of Jinsha River, the bend is 15 km north of Benzilan Township of Deqin County. Jinsha River, the upper reach of the Yangtze River, is blocked by mountains on its way southward, and a hairpin turn has thus been formed as a natural wonder.
Meili Snow Mountain
Meili Snow Mountain is one of the most sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism. In the 1930s, they were praised by American scholars as the most beautiful mountains in the world. Meili Snow Mountain boasts numerous snow-clad ridges and peaks, thirteen of which are more than 6,000 meters above the sea level. The highest peak Kawagebo, which rises to 6,740 metres, has never been summited.
Best Time to Visit Benzilan Town
Benzilan is very hot in summer due to the typical dry-warm valley climate. Compared with other months, October is the best time to visit Benzilan, when it will not be too hot or too cold.
Useful Travel Tips
► The temperature difference is big between day and night, especially when it rains. Tourists should take some thick and long sleeves with you to prevent getting cold.
► Do not forget to prepare some cold medication, intestinal medicine band-aid, daily necessities and medicine.
► As Benzilan is located in a valley at the altitude of 2022 meters, the ultraviolet (uv) radiation is very strong that you should bring sunhat and sun scream with you.
