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Beijing Subway Beijing Metro Map
The subway is a good way to quickly get around the city and a traveler can easily figure it out through the station maps and English signs and language. Be warned that due to the decrease in ticket prices the network is extremely overcrowded right now, especially on line 1 and at rush hour. Beijing now has five subway lines.
The entrance to a subway station is a grey, square concrete building with a lamp box on the top as symbol. The ticket offices are in both ends of the platform. Usually there are more than one entrances (exits) to a station marked with A, B, C or D. Please read the instructions before you leave the station to save time.
Most of the stations along subway Line 2 are major tourist destinations or transportation hubs:
Qianmen Station --Tian'anmen Square, Qianmen, Dashilan, Laoshe Tea House. The largest tourist bus terminal locates in the northeast corner. A taxi ride from here costs you RMB 10 to Liulichang, the Temple of Heaven or Wangfujing.
Jianguomen Station -- the Ancient Observatory, Silk Market, Yabaolu Market
Xizhimen Station -- a major transportation hub to Peking University, the Summer Palace and the Fragrant Hill
Yonghegong Station – the Lama Temple, Guozijian, Confucius Temple, the Temple of Earth
Dongzhimen Station – coach station for tours to Miyun and Huairou counties, Chengde and Tianjin cities as well as the Great Wall (Gubeikou, Jinshanling and Simatai sections); it is also a port to Beijing Capital Airport.
Line 1 runs from the industrial Pingguoyuan area in the west to Sihui East in eastern Beijing. It has 21 stops and follows Chang'an Avenue, the main avenue of Beijing. It links Xidan, Tian'anmen East and West, Wangfujing, Dongdan, Guomao, and Yong'anli. Transfer stations are at Fuxingmen (Line 2), Dongdan (Line 5), Jianguomen (Line 2), and Sihui/Sihui East (Batong Line). The visual identifying color is Red.
Line 2 is also called the Loop Line and follows the north part of the 2nd Ring Road and Qianmen Avenue. Major stops of interest include Qianmen, a major transportation hub as well as an attraction in its own right. Transfer stations are at Fuxingmen (Line 1), Jianguomen (Line 1), Yonghegong the Lama Temple (Line 5), Chongwenmen (Line 5), Xizhimen (Line 13), and Dongzhimen (Line 13). The visual identifying color is Blue.
Line 5 is Beijing's first north-south subway line. It is a brand new line opened at October 7, 2007. Useful stops include the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan Dongmen). Transfer stations are at Lishuiqiao (Line 13), Yonghegong the Lama Temple (Line 2), Dongdan (Line 1), and Chongwenmen (Line 2). The visual identifying color is Purple.
Line 13 does an extended northern semi-loop from Dongzhimen via Huilongguan through to Xizhimen. Transfer stations are at Xizhimen and Dongzhimen (both to Line 2), Lishuiqiao (Line 5). The visual identifying color is Orange Yellow.
Batong Line (aka Line 8T) runs east from Sihui to Tuqiao in eastern suburban Beijing. Transfer stations are at Sihui and Sihui East (both to Line 1). The Batong Line is not of much use for travelers. The visual identifying color is Red.
The subway station entrances are identified by a large blue stylized letter G wrapped around a smaller letter B.
Purchase tickets at the window. Note that if you want two tickets, do not show your thumb and index finger, the Chinese way to signify numbers is different from the west, thumb and index finger mean eight not two.
