Beijing Subways Provide Efficient Transportation

Underground System Makes it Easy to Travel Around Chinese Capital

Jan 4, 2009 Cheryl Probst

The Beijing subway system hauls millions of passengers a day throughout the city. It is a cheap, quick and efficient way to get around for both locals and visitors alike.

People wanting to move about Beijing quickly can do so by using the city's subway system. There is no such thing as a traffic jam below ground. There's no waiting in an idled taxi while the fare mounts up.

Subway rides cost 2 renminbi or yuan each; this is the equivalent of about 30 US cents. A person could ride all over Beijing in one day for that amount, as long as he did not leave the platform area. Visitors who will be doing a lot of subway travel may want to buy a yikatong or refillable pass. The pass is also good for reduced fares on buses. Individual tickets and passes are available from machines and ticket counters.

Ditie Is Chinese for “Subway”

In Beijing, the subway is known as the ditie, so there won’t be any signs which say “subway” on them. Instead, look for signs that have a big D in a circle. Beijing makes it easy for visitors to navigate on their subways as announcements are also in English.

For years there were only two subway lines in Beijing: Line 1, an east-west route which stopped at Xidan, and Line 2, which paralleled Second Ring Road for much of the route. The Olympics changed all that. Today there are nine lines running across the city.

Subways can be very crowded during rush hour. Those who know say its better to be in a crowded subway car which is at least moving forward. The alternatives are to be stuck in a crowded bus or a taxi which isn’t moving because traffic is so bad.

Where Each Line Goes

The lines and major tourist attractions on them are:

Line 1: the original east-west line which was extended from Pinggouyuan in west Beijing to Tuqiao in southeast Beijing. This line stops at Tian’anmen Square, Wangfujing, near the Friendship Store and World Trade Center.

Line 2: the circle line with 18 stops, including Yonghegong Lama Temple and Beijing Railway Station. Get off at Gulodajie to visit the Drum and Bell towers, and hutong lakes district. Dongzhimen is the transfer point for the light rail airport line.

Line 4: starts at Magialou in the south and ends at Longbeicuan in the northwest. Stops include Tian’anmen, Beijing Zoo, Old Summer Palace and Summer Palace.

Line 5: starts in the Changping suburbs and ends at Songjiazhuang which then becomes light rail line. Stops include Yonghegong and the east entrance of Temple of Heaven.

Line 8: a short line which serves the Olympic Green area. Transfer to this line from Line 10’s Xiongmaohuandao stop.

Line 9: a short line which runs between Baishiqiao and Beijing West Railway Station. This line stops at the Military Museum, which is also a transfer station on Line 1.

Line 10: runs from Jinsong in the southeast, up and then around to Wanliu in the west.

Line 13: starts at Dongzhimen on Line 2, intersections with Line 10 at Shaoyaoju, loops around and across in the north, then turns south to connect to Line 2 again at Xizhimen. Dazhongsi or Big Bell Temple is a stop on this route.

L1: this is the light rail system which links Capital Airport with the Dongzhimen subway stops on Lines 2 and 13. While this is a quick way to get into the city, locals don’t recommend it for travelers with luggage.

Subways run from about 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Click here to view a map of the subway system.

The copyright of the article Beijing Subways Provide Efficient Transportation in S Asia/China Travel is owned by Cheryl Probst. Permission to republish Beijing Subways Provide Efficient Transportation in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Playful kids great riders at Guloudajie stop