What changed
Beijing transport authorities have added and expanded special public-transport routes for autumn-leaf tourism as Xiangshan enters its busiest viewing period.
- The Xiangshan season runs from October 16 to November 15.
- New sightseeing bus route 40 began operating on October 24 from Apple Orchard station.
- The city expects 3.1 million public-transport passenger trips around Xiangshan, with peak demand on October 25, October 31 and November 1.
- Routes also connect visitors with Pofengling, Mutianyu and Labagou.
Why it matters
The practical change is that Xiangshan is no longer the only obvious destination, or the only place receiving extra transport capacity. Visitors can reach it through the Xijiao tram, route 26 from Xiyuan, or the new route 40 from Apple Orchard. On peak days, the tram will run every five to six minutes, with capacity for up to 6,000 passengers an hour.
That does not guarantee a smooth journey. Weekend queues may still be long, and afternoon departures are expected to create the main return-journey rush. The better strategy is simple: reserve early, travel outside the busiest dates and leave room in the schedule for the trip home.
The same approach applies beyond Xiangshan. Route 41 runs to Pofengling from October 23 to November 15 on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, with advance reservations and one seat per passenger. Route 31 goes directly from Wangjing West transport hub to Mutianyu on holidays for 80 yuan round trip. Route 34 serves Labagou until November 8.
Some of these services require reservations and use market-based fares. Timetables, prices and bookings are available through the Yilu Tongxing app and official Beijing tourism-distribution channels. Whether the extra routes significantly reduce congestion or spread visitors more evenly will depend on actual demand, but the transport plan gives autumn visitors more than one way into the hills.
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