City metros in China

Cities with major metros (mainland)

Beijing (27+ lines), Shanghai (20+), Guangzhou (16), Shenzhen (17), Chengdu (13), Wuhan (12), Hangzhou (12), Nanjing (11), Tianjin (11), Chongqing (12), Xi'an (10), Suzhou (8), Qingdao (7), Changsha (7), Kunming (6), Dalian (5), Hefei (5), Zhengzhou (8), Ningbo (6), Wuxi (4), and others.

Hong Kong has the MTR; Macau has a single light-rail line.

Payment options (mainland)

• Alipay scan-and-pay — open Alipay, find the metro QR feature for that city, scan at gates. Most flexible for travellers.
• WeChat Pay scan-and-pay — similar.
• City transit card — sold at any station. ¥30–¥100 deposit + cash. Refundable.
• Cash at the ticket vending machine — works in most cities; coins or notes.

In Hong Kong: Octopus card or contactless credit card.

English

Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and major Tier-1 metros have full English signage and announcements. Mid-tier cities (Wuhan, Qingdao, Xi'an) are bilingual at the major stops, sometimes only Chinese at smaller stations. Always carry a screenshot of your destination name in Chinese.

Rush hour

Beijing and Shanghai 8–9am and 6–7pm are crushing. Lines 1, 2, 6 in Beijing; 1, 2, 9 in Shanghai are the worst. Avoid if you have time.

Hours

Most operate 5:30am–11pm. A few have late-night extensions on weekends.