Great news: A bright-yellow open-top double-decker bus is now providing night rides for sightseeing along the Grand Canal! The Grand Canal Sightseeing Bus Line in the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (BMC) has started trial operations. Decorated with colorful light strips, the bus has a maximum passenger capacity of 40. The upper deck offers stunning panoramic views, with the rear seats offering better vantage points.

A full-time tour guide will accompany passengers throughout the trip, providing engaging commentary on the water transportation history of the northern Grand Canal and the shared cultural heritage of the canals in Beijing and Tianjin. The route serves transportation and sightseeing purposes, running in a loop with no intermediate stops. Each trip lasts approximately 40 minutes.

The route links multiple landmarks in BMC, including Randeng Pagoda, Daguang Tower, Qianhe Xielu Bridge and the Canal Business District. It can be combined with a canal cruise to form a land-and-water night tour. Based on visitors' demand, stops will be added at three major cultural facilities, Universal Beijing Resort and other tourist sites to further optimize the tour route.

Guide

Starting stop and terminal: The boarding point is at the No. 2 Parking Lot (2号停车场) of Moon River Town

Where to buy tickets: Tickets can only be purchased on-site at the designated ticket booth with blue lights beside the Huahai No. 2 Parking Lot (花海2号停车场) in Moon River Town.

Ticket price: During the trial operation phase, the ticket price is 50 yuan per person.

Operating hours and departure schedule: The three-month trial phase will run until the end of November. Buses depart every hour from 17:00 to 21:00 each day. A dynamic departure mechanism will be adopted to adjust the departure frequency based on real-time passenger flow.

Travel Tips

1. This is a loop trip with no intermediate stops. Each trip takes 40 minutes. Please set aside sufficient time for your visit.

2. The second deck of the bus is an open-top area. Visitors are advised to bring light outerwear since it can be windy beside the river at night.

3. The passenger flow is expected to peak between 20:00 and 21:00. Visitors who wish to avoid crowds may choose other evening departure times.

(Source: Beijing Fabu)