Tour bus to promote winter Olympic bid

The Sightseeing Bus 1 in Beijing have been named after the bidding 2022 Winter Olympic Games on Friday, taking passengers to visit the ancient city.

The buses are new energy vehicles, which can be fully charged in 15 minutes and can operate for about 150 kilometers because they have adopted the most advanced charging technology in Asia, said Liu Xing, deputy president of Zhuhai Yinlong Energy Co, which produces the buses.

The buses are modeled after buses that ran in Beijing in 1924 and add some traditional flavor of old Beijing, according to the announcement from the Beijing Public Transportation Corp.

The corporation was renamed Sightseeing Bus 1 to voice its support for the capital in the bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics and the expectation of more visitors to Beijing.

The Sightseeing Bus 1 runs in a 20-kilometer circle route, going past over 30 famous scenic spots, including the Forbidden City and Beijing's traditional markets, such as Dashilan, one of its oldest commercial districts.

There is a special guide to briefly introduce these spots and some performers will give short shows at some stations. A ride on the entire route will take about one hour.