Editor's note: In China, travelers usually opt for long-distance buses as their preferred mode of transportation to areas where no train passes through. These sleeper buses offer passengers a certain amount of comfort and flexibility. However, in late 2011, authorities announced they were canceling the production and sale of these buses due to their frequent accidents. The Chinese transportation and safety authorities have now ordered a strict investigation into long-distance bus safety after a major road accident claimed the lives of 36 people on Aug. 26, 2012.

During the late 1980s, China began to develop sleeper buses because of the space they offer and the large number of passengers they can carry. Between 1996 and 1998, sales of these particular buses reached a peak of 7200 per year. The photo taken on Dec. 19, 1997 shows the production line. [Photo/Xinhua]