Baiqiao Service Area – A Lychee Landmark on the Expressway in China
- Levn admin
- Jul 23
- 3 min read
Image Credit : Baiqiao Service Area, China
Launched in May 2025, Baiqiao Service Area is the first rest stop in Guangdong themed entirely around lychee culture. Its architecture is striking: the west building takes the shape of a lychee dome, while the east building unfurls like a lychee leaf, creating an unmistakable silhouette for travelers.
At night, the structures glow with programmable LED lighting, shifting between red, green, yellow, and purple — turning the stop into a photogenic beacon visible from the expressway and beyond. The design isn't just visual; it’s symbolic. Lychees represent local pride and agricultural wealth, and the service area reflects that heritage through form, branding, and function.
Connectivity and Community Access
More than just a pitstop, Baiqiao is a connector. It features ETC-enabled lanes, expanded parking, and — most notably — a pedestrian and cycling overpass that links it directly to nearby villages and a scenic zone. This allows locals to access the site for daily needs, dining, shopping, or even work — all without a car. The area is also part of a broader initiative in Guangdong to integrate transport, agriculture, commerce, and culture, making the RSA a platform for rural revitalization.
From Transit to Tourism
Baiqiao goes beyond food courts and fuel. It offers lychee-branded products, farm-direct experiences, and even a digital visitor zone for cultural education and tourism information. In doing so, it becomes a showcase of agro-tourism and heritage retail, blending modern highway infrastructure with authentic local commerce.
International media and influencers have already taken notice. Within weeks of opening, vloggers from Armenia, India, and Southeast Asia were documenting Baiqiao’s immersive design and cultural story, giving it global visibility.
EVCC™ Pedas RSA – Malaysia’s Answer to the Future
On the southern corridor of the PLUS Expressway, EVCC™ Pedas RSA is rising with its own set of firsts. Scheduled to open in Q1 2026, it will be Malaysia’s first EV-centric rest area. Developed by LEVN Capital, the project is centered around electric mobility, ESG compliance, and regional integration.
Its design features a circular, solar-ready main building surrounded by three train-inspired drive-thru pods, each designed to streamline high-throughput food & beverage operations. With power supplied by an 11kV TNB substation, it will support Tesla Superchargers, GENTARI HPCs, and under a Platinum GreenRE-rated framework.
A New Regional Archetype for RSAs
Both Baiqiao and Pedas are proving that the rest area can be more than a recharge station.
It can be:
A cultural icon that reflects local identity
A safe and inclusive stopover for both locals and travelers
A nighttime landmark that’s clean, solar-powered, and beautiful
An anchor for rural development, tourism, and smart infrastructure
While Baiqiao celebrates the lychee, Pedas celebrates mobility — EV-ready, design-driven, and people-first.
From China to Malaysia, the Highway is Changing
As more countries commit to sustainable transport, RSAs like Baiqiao and EVCC™ Pedas RSA signal a shift in how infrastructure is designed, funded, and experienced. They are no longer passive stops — they are activated spaces that reflect the future of regional development.
EVCC™ Pedas RSA may be the first of its kind in Malaysia, but it won’t be the last. If Baiqiao is any indication, the future of RSAs lies in storytelling, sustainability, and smart design — all powered by clean energy and local pride.
Learn more at www.evcc.my
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