China Media Group has reported the trial launch of the Grand Canal Sightseeing Bus in Beijing's Municipal Administrative Center. On the evening of August 15, the No. 2 parking lot at Moon River Town along the Tongzhou Grand Canal buzzed with activity. As night fell, a double-decker open-top sightseeing bus, finished in a striking yellow-purple gradient livery and wrapped in flowing multicoloured light strips, stood out against the dark sky. With the departure chime, the bus pulled out of the stop, marking the start of a three-month trial operation. The service is operated by Higer open-top double-decker buses from Higer.
The 40-minute loop route runs non-stop, covering landmark sites in the sub-centre including the Randeng Pagoda, Daguang Tower, Qianhe Xielu Bridge and the Canal Business District. Certified for 40 passengers, the bus features a fully open-air upper deck, with the best views from the rear seats. On-board professional narrators provide live commentary on the water transport history of the North Grand Canal and the shared cultural heritage of the Beijing-Tianjin canal network. Cool night breezes sweep across the open upper deck as the continuous shoreline lighting unfolds along the route. The light show at Randeng Pagoda, facing the river bridge, serves as the highlight of the entire journey.
The bright-yellow body features Higer's signature "Tongzhou on the Grand Canal" livery. Measuring approximately 12.3 metres long and 4.14 metres high, the bus offers a panoramic open-top upper deck, delivering elevated views for passengers to take in the riverside scenery. Powered by a fully electric driveline, the bus operates quietly with zero exhaust emissions, blending seamlessly into the urban landscape.
This is not Higer's first deployment of double-decker sightseeing buses across cities. In Tianjin, Higer units have served the Hai River waterfront for years, connecting the Tianjin Eye, Italian-Style Town and Ancient Culture Street. A new Hexi Route, launched during the 2026 May Day holiday, links landmarks across south-western Tianjin—including the Tianjin Grand Auditorium, Tianta Lake and the Wudadao Historic District—forming a well-connected sightseeing network alongside existing lines. Now, the iconic bright-yellow fleet travels north from the Hai River to Beijing's Municipal Administrative Center along the Grand Canal, echoing the deep cultural ties shared by Beijing and Tianjin through their canal-transport heritage.
The Tongzhou Grand Canal sightseeing service operates on a dynamic schedule. Buses depart every hour from 17:00 to 21:00, with frequencies adjusted according to real-time passenger flow. Ticket prices are tiered at CNY 30 for daytime rides and CNY 50 for night tours. Night services are timed to match waterfront light shows, creating land-water integrated tourism experiences alongside canal cruise boats and offering new night-time travel options for visitors. Additional stops covering major cultural venues and Universal Beijing Resort will be added later based on visitor demand.
Beyond vehicle deployment, transport authorities in Beijing and Tianjin conducted thorough cross-city coordination in preparation. They drew on Tianjin's proven sightseeing bus operation model while exploring local Grand Canal features for route optimisation. This marks an innovative example of coordinated transport-culture integration within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. It further validates Higer double-deckers as mobile cultural-tourism carriers: more than mere transit vehicles, they represent customisable and replicable mobile experience spaces.
The three-month trial operation will run until the end of November. Travelling amid night breezes along the Grand Canal, the bright-yellow Higer open-top bus carries thousands of years of canal heritage within its 40-minute circular journey. Expanding from the Hai River to the Grand Canal, from Tianjin to Beijing's sub-centre, Higer's sightseeing bus footprint continues to grow amid Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development, telling the ancient waterway's story on wheels.
