Benzilan and Dongzhulin Monastery

Benzilan means a “beautiful sand dam” in Tibetan. Located in Deqin County, at the foot of Baima Snow Mountain, on the west bank of the Jinsha River. Benzilan is the famous ancient ferry on the Ancient Tea and Horse Road. Important traffic stations, multicultural integration, unique ethnic festival, and imposing landscapes make this town with individual attraction.

Dongzhulin Monastery

Located in Benzilan, Dongzhulin Monastery is both famous for the metal cubic mandala and a huge Tangka, which is a guardian statue made of finely woven multicolored silk threads with 8.5 meters long and 5.2 meters wide and is exhibited every year at the Gedong Festival (December of Tibetan calendar).

Dongzhulin Monastery was established in 1667 and rebuilt in 1985 which is designed in an earth and wooden structure with 4 floors and 82 thick pillars. Statues of three Buddhist saints were erected at the entrance of the main building: The Holy Zongkaba with his two followers, Damarenqing and Kezhujie stand on either side (commonly known as the “three masters and apprentices”). There are other Buddhas on the same floor, such as Shakyamuni and Goddess of Mercy. The chanting hall, Buddhist chapels, and chambers for Buddhist images are settled on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Among those, the most impressive statues are the statue of Maitreya (7 m) and the statue of Sakyamuni (10m).

Trips and Tours Ideas in Shangri-La

Wonders of Yunnan

16 days | Best seller 
A travel plan for travelers who want to explore the most attractive landscapes of Yunnan in one trip.

Deep Exploration of Yunnan

17 days | Meili Snow Mountain  
A journey from Kunming to Shangri-La via Lijiang with small detours in intimate Yunnan. Magical natural sites and meeting of minorities on the borders of Tibet.

Baima Nature Reserve and holy mountain Khawa Karpo

4 days | Shangri-La, Deqin, and Benzilan
Mount Kawa Karpo rises to 6740 m. Three wide rivers flow through Mount Kawa Karpo, the Yangtze, the Mekong, and the Salween.