#benzilan

一個法國女人獨居雲南深山14年: 造房、釀酒，過美美的日子 A French Woman Has Lived Alone in the Deep Mountains of Yunnan for 14 Years: Building Houses, Brewing Wine, and Living a Beautiful Life.

Estelle, a 63-year-old French architect, grew up at the foot of the Alps and designed hospitals and banks during her career. At 44, overwhelmed by her hectic life, she quit her job and moved to Yunnan, a place she had long admired. She started from scratch, running her own guesthouse. In October, Yitiao visited Estelle's home in Benzilan, where she shared her thoughts on renovating old houses and her life in Yunnan over the past decade.

今年63歲的法國建築師Estelle，成長於阿爾卑斯山腳下，在做建築師時設計過醫院、銀行。 44歲時，她難以負荷太過忙碌的生活，毅然辭職，來到嚮往已久的雲南，從零開始經營自己的民宿。 10月，一條拜訪了Estelle在奔子欄的家，和她聊了聊改造老房子的想法，以及她在雲南十幾年的生活。

📌 茶馬古道上的法國女士：奔子欄是我的家 2021-08-02 /作者謝瀅 繆超

📌 PS. 奔子欄 Benzilan（藏語：སྤམ་རརྩེ་རགས།） 雲南小鎮 (奔子栏 云南小镇) 奔子欄是金沙江邊的一個藏族小鎮，藏語意為：美麗的沙洲。是茶馬古道上的重要驛站。奔子欄屬於雲南省德欽縣，與四川省德榮縣隔江相望。位於滇西北進入西藏和四川的要道上，自古既是茶馬古道的重鎮。走滇藏線的馬幫來到奔子欄鎮，都會停下休息補給，並在此聘請熟悉情況的藏族嚮導，帶領馬幫翻越白馬雪山，繼續北上進入西藏。因地處滇藏線交通要道，隨着雲南西藏旅遊的發展，奔子欄已經成為一座繁華的多元化小鎮。

📌 Slow travel Yunnan Tour (21 days from your country to your country)

Day 9 : Shangri La - Benzilan (B ; D) ~ 2.30h drive. Altitude : 2300m. Breakfast at your guest house, then road to Benzilan, through some beautiful mountain sceneries with very nice views over the curve of Yangtse River. In Benzilan, visit Dongzhulin Tibetan Monastery (entrance : 30 RMB per person), located above the Yangtse River. It is a very popular place for local people, reknown to have hosted many "living buddhas". In Benzilan, you might have the chance to discover a woodcarved pottery workshop in a big and beautiful tibetan house, if the owner is available when you arrive there. Check in at Estelle's house, the Tulu Lodge, well located in a very tiny protected quiet valley with a very special micro climate. This guest house was decorated with passion by Estelle, spellbound by China already a long time ago. You will fall in love with the house's two dogs, very cuddling! The house is also an host table, where you can enjoy a delicious homemade dinner made by the owner out of local organic products, mostly inspired by Provence Cuisine. Overnight at Tulu Lodge. 👇

UN PETIT COIN DE FRANCE

Le 03 mai nous nous sommes réveillés tranquillement pour boucler nos sacs afin d'être prêt et partir en direction de Benzilan, un petit village à plus d'une heure de route de Shangri-La. Anne connaissait Estelle, une française installée dans ce charmant petit hameau, qui tient un eco-lodge dans une maison traditionnelle tibétaine. Par chance, c'était le jour où Estelle venait à Shangri-La pour faire le plein de provisions au marché. 

Nous nous sommes tous retrouvés pour déjeuner avant de prendre la route à bord du 4x4 d'Estelle, indispensable pour circuler dans cette région montagneuse. Une fois sur place, notre hôte nous a humblement fait visiter sa maison avec ses murs fait en terre et à la chaux, ses poutres apparentes, ses immanquables toilettes sèches, ses chambres ayant chacune un style particulier chinois ou tibétain, personnalisées avec les meubles chinés au fil des ans et pour finir, la cuisine traditionnelle tibétaine avec son gros poêle au milieu.

Le plus impressionnant fut d'apprendre qu'elle a tout rénové elle même en respectant les principes de construction traditionnels. Nous avons appris qu'elle avait une formation d'architecte à l'origine, ce qui expliquait qu'elle connaisse aussi bien les matériaux et les manières de les utiliser. 

Yunnan had a 5.8 magnitude earthquake about a month before I arrived during my fall break. I considered canceling my trip, but I was told the hotels I booked were OK, and by the time I was traveling, most of the roads had been cleared.

But the damage was obvious throughout my stay. I'm not much of a picture-taker, so I don't have any evidence of the buried bridges, collapsed houses, and cars and trucks crushed by falling stones, but I remember them all clearly. I actually stayed in Benzilan, just at the epicenter of the quake. Most of the residents were staying in blue government-provided relief tents, and I was told they were awaiting relief compensation from the government in order to repair their damaged homes and business. According to the link above, over 55,000 structures were damaged.

In the below photos I took at a local monastery, you can see one of these tents in the courtyard, with the words "民政救灾" which I guess translates to something like "government disaster relief". You can also see some young monks (one of them was only 8 or 9 years old) playing in the  in the second photo.