Plan · Transport
City metros in China
Why metros are the right choice for urban China
Chinese city metros are cheap (¥3–8 for most journeys), frequent (2–5 minute intervals at peak), reliable, and — in tier-1 cities — have excellent English signage. For a visitor navigating a city of 10+ million people, the metro is almost always faster than a taxi during peak hours, and dramatically simpler than trying to navigate bus routes.
The practical calculus: use the metro for any cross-city journey; use Didi or a taxi for the first and last kilometre when the metro station is inconveniently placed.
Network overview by city
| City | Lines (approx. 2026) | Notable character | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | 20+ | Largest network in the world by line length. Lines 1, 2, 4, 9 are the tourist backbone. | ||
| Beijing | 27+ | Extensive but confusing for first-timers. Lines 1, 2 (circle), 6, 10 cover most tourist areas. | ||
| Guangzhou | 16+ | Clean, modern. The APM automated people-mover serves Zhujiang New Town business district. | ||
| Shenzhen | 17+ | Recently built, comprehensive. Interconnects with Hong Kong MTR at Futian Checkpoint. | ||
| Chengdu | 13+ | Growing fast. Lines 1 and 2 cover the main tourist areas; Line 9 to airport. | ||
| Wuhan | 12+ | Crosses the Yangtze by tunnel on multiple lines — unusual engineering feature. | ||
| Hangzhou | 12+ | Covers Westlake area and train station; Line 1 to the airport. | ||
| Nanjing | 11+ | Good for tourist sights; Line 1 passes near the main attraction cluster. | ||
| Tianjin | 11+ | Connects to Beijing by HSR; Lines 1, 2, 3 cover the urban core. | ||
| Chongqing | 12+ | Includes a monorail (Line 2) that passes through a residential building — a genuine curiosity. | ||
| Xi'an | 10+ | Lines 2 and 3 cover the tourist zone (Bell Tower, Muslim Quarter). Metro arrives at station from outside; allow time. | ||
| Suzhou | 8 | Covers the classical garden area. | ||
| Qingdao | 7 | Coastal network; useful for beach connections. | ||
| Changsha | 7 | Growing network; connects Orange Island and the university district. | ||
| Kunming | 6 | Growing; useful for the airport connection. |
Cities with smaller but functional networks: Dalian, Hefei, Zhengzhou, Ningbo, Wuxi, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Harbin, Shenyang, Zhengzhou.
Hong Kong: The MTR is one of the world's most efficient metro systems. 11 lines, Octopus card or contactless Visa/Mastercard/Amex for payment. Service runs approximately 6am–1am. The Airport Express from Hong Kong station to the airport takes 24 minutes.
Macau: A single light-rail line (Taipa Line, opened 2019) connecting the Taipa area and ferry terminal. Most of Macau is more easily navigated by bus or casino shuttle.
Payment options: mainland metros
**Alipay transit QR** (most convenient for travellers): - Open Alipay, navigate to the transit feature (usually labelled '乘车码' or 'Metro QR') - In most cities, select the local metro system and generate a QR code - Scan the QR code at the turnstile gate on entry; scan again on exit (fare calculated based on distance) - Works in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Wuhan, and most other major systems
WeChat Pay transit: Similar function via the WeChat metro mini-programme. City coverage slightly varies from Alipay.
City transit card (一卡通): A physical card with ¥30–¥100 deposit (returned when you surrender the card). Load with cash at any station machine. Works on metro, bus, and some taxis. The Beijing Yikatong, Shanghai Transportation Card, and local equivalents are functional but mean carrying an additional card. Worth getting for a stay of a week or more.
National transit card: A new scheme introduced from 2023 allows a single card to work across many cities (互联互通联乘), reducing the need for a separate city card wherever you go [VERIFY: current coverage — May 2026].
Cash vending machines: Available at all stations. Coins and small notes (¥10, ¥20, ¥50). Buy a single-journey token. The process is: choose destination on the touchscreen map, insert cash, collect the small circular token. Exit by holding the token against the gate reader (the token is swallowed). Less convenient than QR but always available.
Finding your way: English signage and apps
Tier-1 cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen): Excellent English. All station names are in pinyin romanisation alongside Chinese characters. All announcements are in both Mandarin and English. The electronic boards show the next train arrival time in English.
Tier-2 tourist cities (Hangzhou, Suzhou, Xi'an, Chengdu, Wuhan, Nanjing): Major stations and tourist-route stations are bilingual. Smaller neighbourhood stations may be Chinese-only.
Secondary cities: Expect Chinese only. Carry a screenshot of your destination station name in Chinese characters.
**Apps**: - **Amap (高德地图)** or **Baidu Maps**: The most reliable for metro routing within Chinese cities. Both show metro connections, walking directions to the station, and platform numbers. - **Metro Man (地铁通)**: A dedicated offline metro map app covering all Chinese city systems. Works without connectivity once downloaded.
Navigating the stations
Ticketing zone: Station entrance → security bag scan → ticket/QR scan → concourse → platform. The security scan (bags through X-ray, similar to airports) adds 1–3 minutes on busy days.
Correct platform: Platforms are labelled by direction (the end-of-line station name). Check Amap for which direction. Example: Shanghai Line 2, you board in the direction of 'Pudong International Airport' or 'Hongqiao Airport' depending on which way you're going.
Interchanges: Major interchange stations in Beijing and Shanghai require a 3–10 minute walk between platforms when switching lines. Amap's routing accounts for this, but tight connections between trains at different lines should allow 8–10 minutes buffer.
Rush hour and crowding
Beijing and Shanghai metro systems during peak hours are genuinely crushing. Lines to avoid at 8–9am and 6–7:30pm if at all possible: - **Beijing**: Lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 13 - **Shanghai**: Lines 1, 2, 4, 9, 10
Entry is often queued by staff into orderly lines. Let departing passengers out before boarding (signs remind people; most comply in Tier-1 cities; compliance less consistent in Tier-2).
Operating hours
Most mainland metro systems run 5:30am–11pm (last train). A few major stations have extensions to midnight or later on weekends and public holidays. Check the specific station — schedules are posted at each platform entrance.
Hong Kong MTR runs 6am–1am.