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Transport in China - other buses (by Dick Gilbert)

Last updated 27 August 2024

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Another visit to some transport from around the world. This time it's a look at the People's Republic of China, and here is a brief review of some double-deck buses, trolleybuses and other oddments I saw in my travels.

I visited China in October 2013, stopping in Shanghai, Xi'an and Beijing. Traditionally the view of China is that it's full of bicycles. That may have been true in the past, but - certainly in the cities - not now. However the heritage of those bicycles means that there are no old cars. Twenty years ago there were hardly any cars at all, so the only really old vehicles around today are a few aged trucks and buses. In fact even the bicycles have been replaced in many cases by electric bikes. These are cheap and subsidised, as part of a government scheme to reduce pollution.

ANKAI: This is an Ankai HFF6110GS01D built specially for outer ring route 12 in Beijing. Several overpasses on the route require a very low-height bus, and this is only 3.78 metres high. They have lowered gangways on each side of 3-abreast central seating, both upstairs and down. With all that glasswork, I bet it's exciting upstairs when whizzing under a low bridge in one of these.

Some of the single-deck buses looked as though they had been around for a while, but most of them looked pretty recent. Common makes were Foton, Huanghai, Jinghua and King Long - names that are currently largely unknown in Europe, but may well appear in your high street before long.

Below is a selection of double deckers, trolleybuses and minibuses seen throughout the cities I visited. They are arranged in alphabetical order of manufacturer (roughly). A lot of the technical information is my best guesswork, but I am more than happy to receive corrections or more detail about these vehicles, manufacturers or operators.

ANKAI: We start with a familiar view - City Sightseeing in the rain! This Ankai bus may be open-top, but only just, and anyone who has experienced the effects of a tropical storm in Shanghai will understand why; it poured for the entire three days we were there. This is one of eight 69-seater Anhui Ankai HFF6110GS-1 buses specially built for the job in 2010.

FOTON: This is a Huayu Foton BJD-WG120F trolleybus running parallel to the moat on the northern side of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Huayu set-up is complex. Apparently Jinghua Buses ceased trading in 2009 and much of its business interests were transferred to Foton AUV. Jinghua had made buses as a division of Beijing Public Transport, and the BPT Trolleybus Plant made trolleybuses under the name Huayu. So, both Foton and old Jinghua trolleybuses are now known in Beijing by the name Huayu. Are you confused yet?

GOLDEN DRAGON: Here's something a little smaller. This Golden Dragon minibus is seen at Xi'an airport working for CITS (China International Travel Service). Although showing some signs of age, it does seem to have a close family resemblance to a Toyota Coaster...

HUAYU: Assuming you've understood the previous explanation about Huayu, this is a real Huayu BJD-WG120DK 12 metre trolleybus. By the way, it is powered by direct current, whereas the Foton above is powered by AC.

JINGHUA: With an allover advert, this is a Jinghua BK6126S1 double decker on route 23 in Beijing. It is no. 56007 and (at the time of posting this) I can't find any other pictures on the internet of a bus from this batch.

JINGHUA: Trolleybuses in Beijing come in articulated form too. This is a 16-metre Jinghua Huayu BJD-WG160B, with Jinghua having made the body. Some have Jinghua badges and some don't. These buses have battery auxiliary power, a rear engine and no air conditioning. This example is on route 109, passing to the north of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

KING LONG: Isn't this great? Smack in the middle and all alone in Beijing's Tiananmen Square is a King Long in an unexpected role. Probably an XML6700, the operator must have been really well connected to be allowed to set up shop in this prime location with no competition. Like the Golden Dragon further up this page, you could be forgiven for thinking it's a Toyota Coaster.

NEOPLAN; I've chosen a Neoplan logo to introduce this neat 12 metre trolleybus, but in fact it's probably the most baffling of the complex Huayu arrangements, as described earlier. It has a Youngman chassis (incorporating a ZhuZhou Electric Locomotives AC motor) with a Neoplan body based on their Electroliner design, and is therefore a joint-venture JNP6120GD. However it was built at the Beijing Trolleybus Plant, and so is known by them as a Huayu BJD-WG120N. Take your pick, but it does say Neoplan on the front! Anyway I think they're smart, and this one is seen on route 101 near the gardens on the north side of Beijing's Forbidden City.

YAXING: We were warned that zebra crossings mean nothing in China. There are apparently two rules for crossing the road: (1) shut your eyes, (2) follow the Chinese. Proving the point is this Yaxing JS6130SHJ sweeping round a corner at the southern end of Tiananmen Street, Beijing. These comfortable 13 metre buses were introduced just in time for the 2008 Olympics.

HIGER: This interesting vehicle in Beijing looks to be an old Higer minibus converted to some kind of service vehicle. I can't identify the exact model (which would seem to be another Toyota clone - Higer certainly built the Hiace under licence) but the number on the front might be H506, or HS06, or even WHS06.

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