Pan Yang Lake with snow-capped mountain reflections, Long Wang Sea surrounded by colorful forests, and Yanzi Rock with its "cloud-top" viewing experience—these captivating secrets of western Sichuan are all hidden in Bipenggou Scenic Area in Aba, Sichuan province. Known for its year-round beauty—"flowers in spring, coolness in summer, colorful forests in autumn, and snow in winter"—Bipenggou attracts a large number of tourists from home and abroad every year. Connecting visitors with these stunning landscapes is the shuttle bus fleet traveling along complex mountain roads at elevations ranging from over 2,000 meters to 3,500 meters.

Among Bipenggou's 150 shuttle buses, 129 are Golden Dragon buses, accounting for 86% of the total fleet. A remarkable 15 years of trouble-free operation has witnessed the win-win cooperation between "scenic area service upgrading" and "automaker value realization".

Altitude Difference of 1,000 Meters & Over 30 Sharp Turns

Customized Solutions for Extreme Demands

Bipenggou's mountain roads pose an extreme test for shuttle bus performance. On the 30-kilometer one-way route, a vertical drop of more than 1,000 meters, over 30 steep slopes and sharp bends, plus thin air at 3,500 meters above sea level, create multiple challenges: high cold, high altitude, and large elevation difference.

"Safety is the bottom line, and adaptability is the key for scenic area vehicles," said Zhang Jingyun, Deputy Manager of the Sightseeing Fleet at Lixian Bipenggou Tourism Development Co., Ltd. Golden Dragon Bus first entered Bipenggou in 2011, launching a tailored cooperation model. The 129 Golden Dragon buses in service today include units operating since 2014. After 12 years of intensive use—nearly 200 kilometers per day, 7 to 8 round trips daily during peak seasons—no breakdown has ever disrupted the scenic area's operation.

"The latest 15 units of Golden Dragon Splendor 9-meter premium buses have raised adaptability to a new level," Zhang noted. "They are equipped with a high-torque retarder delivering 1,700 N·m of torque, providing stronger braking power and excellent downhill stability, perfectly handling the scenic area's continuous descents."

To cope with high altitude and low temperatures, the Golden Dragon Splendor 9-meter premium bus features 16 high-cold custom packages, including maintenance-free high-cold batteries, insulated fuel tanks and oil circuits, and -45°C antifreeze, ensuring reliable cold-start performance.

"The powertrain is also impressive: a 270-hp high-efficiency engine with strong low-speed torque, making climbing effortless," Zhang added. "Drivers report that even in thin mountain air, climbing in third gear remains smooth and powerful, reliably supporting high-frequency operations during peak tourist seasons."

From "Usable" to "Comfortable"

Service Quality Upgraded with Tourist Demands

With 10 years of experience at Bipenggou, Manager Zhang has witnessed the evolution of tourist expectations. Over the decade, Bipenggou's visitor base has expanded from Sichuan to the whole country and even overseas.

"Tourists must take shuttle buses into the mountains, so the riding experience directly shapes their overall impression," he said. The shift from "usable" to "comfortable" has become central to the scenic area's service upgrade.

Golden Dragon Bus's product evolution has kept pace with Bipenggou's service improvement. The latest Splendor 9-meter premium buses upgrade standard seats to leather seats. Excellent chassis tuning and body control ensure stability on winding mountain roads, effectively reducing jolting and motion sickness.

"Previous shuttle buses used to make me dizzy, but these Golden Dragon buses are very stable," said Mr. Li, a tourist from Jiangsu. "They stay smooth even on winding slopes. The seats are spacious, and enjoying the scenery along the way is a real pleasure."

Such improved comfort has strengthened Bipenggou's appeal as a year-round destination and boosted word-of-mouth reputation, becoming an invisible driver of the scenic area's growing visitor numbers.

Since their first cooperation in 2011, the partnership between Golden Dragon Bus and Bipenggou Scenic Area has gone far beyond a simple buyer-seller relationship. In this secluded region surrounded by snow-capped mountains, Golden Dragon buses are more than transportation tools—they are an extension of scenic services and a pillar of daily operations.

As tourists ride Golden Dragon buses through breathtaking landscapes, they experience not only the magnificent scenery of western Sichuan, but also premium travel services jointly created by the scenic area and the bus manufacturer. The two sides will continue to move forward together, providing reliable, comfortable, and safe travel services to guard every visitor's journey through snowy mountains and colorful forests.

Source : www.chinabuses.org

Editor : Lucy

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