How to Ride the Metro in China: Ultimate Guide to Getting Around the City (2025)
Gangxia North Station in Shenzhen - photo taken by me
Introduction To Chinese Metros đ
In China, taking the metro is often the most reliable and cheapest way of getting across the city. Some cities like Shanghai and Suzhou, and Guangzhou and Foshan are even connected by metro!
In 2025, 47 cities across China have a metro system. The top 5 longest metro systems in the world are all in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen. Some of the stations have stunning designs.
The trains are clean, safe, and frequent. You can even keep connected to 5G networks while underground. My first choice in any big city.
How To Find The Nearest Metro Station đ
Look for signs pointing to the nearest metro station. If you donât see one, open up Amap or Baidu Maps and turn on the transit layer. Stations should be labelled with the local metro logo. You can also type in âditiezhanâ and a list of stations should pop up. In Beijing and Shanghai, there is nearly always a station within 1km walking distance in central districts.
Walk to the metro station closest to you.
There are multiple entrances to every metro station - they are typically glazed in glass with the entrance sign labelled with the metro logo and a letter for that specific entrance. All of them will take you to the same concourse level.
Concourse Level
Once you get down to the station concourse, you will see:
A gated area in the middle with specific entry points that have security personnel, metal detectors, and bag scanners.
Ticket barriers within the gated area, located after the security check.
Ticket machines, usually along the wall or in the corner.
A customer service center (if you donât see it, you need to walk to the other end of the concourse)
A metro network map on the wall
A station diagram, local area map, and descriptions for each exit.
Adjacent passageways leading to other lines (at transfer stations only).
(Note: there are some insanely complex stations in some cities like Chongqing, so donât worry if you get lost. Itâs normal).
Ticket Options
My recommended method is to use Alipay. It is by far the most convenient method for me and works in practically all cities, as long as you have registered and verified your account with your passport. Have a look at the following options:
1. Alipay đ€łđ»
Make sure you have enabled payment services and binded a card to your account. If youâve already done this, you can ignore this step.
Youâll need to enable the transport card for the city you are visiting. On the homepage, click âTransportâ (on top row) -> âMetroâ -> âGet nowâ. The QR code that appears is valid for this city only.
If you are visiting multiple cities, youâll need to enable the cards for those cities as well. You can do that in advance by clicking the top bar with an arrow and selecting another location. There is no universal metro card in Alipay that covers the whole country (yet).
You donât need to top up your account. The payment is directly taken from your card.
If you canât get Alipay to work for the metro, donât worry. Have a look at the other options below.
2. Contactless Credit Card (only for Beijing and ShanghaiïŒ đł
If youâre visiting Beijing or Shanghai, it is possible to tap your contactless credit card at the ticket gates. This option is not currently available for other cities, as of Aug 2025.
3. City/Regional Metro App đČ
Youâll need to download the city or regionâs metro app. However, some apps for the smaller cities are not as easy to use. I donât really recommend this method if youâre gonna be there only for a few days.
4. Ticket Machine đïž
This option is available at all stations.
Go up to the machine - you should see a map of the network.
Choose English option if you canât read Chinese.
Select destination by tapping on the map.
Confirm number of tickets.
Pay by using the scanning function inside Alipay or WeChat.
(I havenât mentioned cash, because most machines only accept small notes, not 100rmb notes. If you donât have either, proceed to option 5).
The machine will pop out plastic tokens. You will need to use this at the ticket gate.
5. Customer Service Center đ©đ»âđŒ
You can buy rechargeable transportation cards, passes, or tickets from staff at the service counter.
The transportation card is similar to the ones in other cities around the world. In most cities, youâll be able to use it for practically all public transport in that city.
Most cities only accept recharging using cash, Alipay, and WeChat, but not credit cards. Before you leave the city, you can ask for a refund of outstanding balance at any metro station.
You can also buy one-day or multi-day passes for some metro systems like the Shanghai Metro. It might work out cheaper, if you are making a large amount of journeys or several long journeys in one day.
If you just need a single journey ticket, you need to tell staff where youâre going. Show the destination station on your phone.
What Is The Typical Cost? đŽ
Varies from system to system. Most fares are calculated by distance travelled. The cheapest fare can be as low as 2 yuan in some cities like Chengdu. The approximate range for most journeys is 2-10 yuan. Shanghai and Beijing are the most expensive in the mainland. Metro fares are much higher in Hong Kong.
Navigating the Network - which app should I use? đșïž
My preferred method is to use the MetroMan app. As someone who has worked in transport design, I think the app provides the most attractive, logical, easy-to-read maps for all metro networks in China. Nearly all lines are coloured and numbered.
You can either input or tap your departure and arrival stations. It will show you the fastest route. I donât really look at the station maps any more. But do that, if you prefer.
Going Through Security + Ticket Gates đźđ»
Each exit has metal detectors and bag scanners, which are compulsory. When youâre ready, go through the metal detector and place any bags on the conveyor belt.
If youâre only carrying a small handbag, you can choose to open up your bag and show the security guard the contents. He/she will normally let you through, unless there is anything they need to check.
If anything is suspicious, the guards will ask to inspect it. If there is anything like scissors, they may not let you through or you will have to hand it over. Aerosols could get confiscated.
If youâre carrying bottled drinks, you either need to give it to the guard for a quick scan or take a sip in front of them.
After security, have your transport QR code, contactless card, or plastic token ready, and place it on the detector on any ticket gate. The gate should open.
After The Ticket Gates âŹïž
If the station youâve entered only has one line, itâs simple enough. Look at the signs, find the escalators or lift, and go down to platform level.
Some stations have multiple lines (as many as 4!). Do not head down for the first set of escalators you see! Double check and follow the signs for the line you need. It may be a long walk for some of the larger stations, depending on where you entered the station.
Once youâre arrived in the correct part of the station, keep following the signs. Each line will have trains travelling in opposite directions.
As youâll likely to be going to an intermediate station on the line, you must check that you are going down to a platform with trains heading towards the correct terminal station. Double check the metro map. Itâs easy to make a mistake and head in the opposite direction - Iâve done it once or twice! Then, head down the escalator.
At Platform Level / On The Platform đ
In most stations, one side of the platform will serve trains travelling in the opposite direction of the other side. They serve the same line.
In some stations, one side will serve trains travelling on a completely different line to the other side. This is to enable convenient transfer between specific lines.
Also, you may see some platforms which have only one side serving trains.
Check the information on the wall above the platform screen doors to ensure youâre on the right platform.
Overhead screens will show the waiting time for the next train. Youâll also find toilets at the end of the platform in many metro stations.
Pick a designated door and wait.
My tip: Some carriages, particularly the middle carriages, can get much more crowded than the end carriages (most of the time). I normally wait at the end carriages because I donât want to be squeezed like a pancake. A side note, not everyone has the courtesy to queue sensibly. Someone might jump the queue when trains arrive.
Once the train has arrived, just hop on.
On The Train
Sit if thereâs free seats. Otherwise, stand in a place where you can hold or lean onto something. A few seats are designated for vulnerable people and are usually coloured in pink.
There are screens either on the carriage walls or above the doors.
Throughout the journey, keep monitoring the screen for the next stop. The next stop is the one flashing up on the screen or being announced.
If you notice everyone suddenly getting off the train before youâve reached your station, thatâs probably because that train only travels to an intermediate station on the line. Get off and just wait on the platform for the next train.
Some trains have a guard patrolling the carriages to keep everyone safe. You will see them walking up and down the train.
After arriving at your stop or transfer stop, exit the carriages.
Exiting The Train + Transferring to Another Line âŹïž
If you need to transfer to another line, it is extra important that you follow the signs. For many transfers, there are dedicated escalators or passageways that take you to another line without going up to concourse level. This saves time.
Theyâre not available at every station though, so you may have to go up to concourse level and back down a different escalator. Some stations have transfers taking as long as 5 minutes, but they are the small minority.
Once you arrived at the correct platform, just repeat the procedure mentioned in the previous two sections.
If this is your final stop, just follow the exit signs ćșćŁ to head up the escalator to concourse level.
Arriving At Your Destination Station and Getting the Right Exit đȘ§
Once youâre back at concourse level, look at the exit signs. Where are you actually going?
If youâre unsure, either open up Amap/Baidu Maps or look at the local area map on the concourse wall. Find the nearest exit to the place you wanna go. Follow the signs to that exit BEFORE going through the ticket gates.
Once you see the exit, have your transport QR code/contactless card/plastic token ready. Tap it at the exit barriers. For the plastic token, you need to put it into the slot next to the card reader. Go through your chosen exit. Thatâs it! Hope you had a nice journey on one of Chinaâs metros!
Additional tips from me
Avoid peak hours between 8am-10am + 5pm-7pm - it can get very uncomfortable and you might not be able to get on the first train because there are just too many people.
If a train is already pretty full, just wait for the next train. Only 3-5 minutes in most cases.
Something go wrong? My suggestions for common situations
QR code not swiping - if thereâs a help button nearby, press it. Otherwise, find the nearest staff member or go to the customer service center.
Phone ran out of battery - go to the customer service center. Show them your dead phone or show them this æææșæČĄç”äș = my phone ran out of battery. Theyâll find a solution, you might have to pay for a new ticket.
I missed my stop - just exit the train at the next stop. Then, find the platform that serves trains in the opposite direction. Most of the time, itâs the opposite platform but not always!
All trains have stopped - the best option is to use DiDi. Exit the station and open up the app to call a cab.
I lost something - find a staff member and use your translation app to communicate.
Three Unique Metro Stations To Visit! đČ
Most striking metro station - Gangxia North, Line 2, 4, 10, 11, Shenzhen Metro
Deepest metro station in the world (40 floors underground!) - Hongyancun, Line 9, Chongqing Metro
Most famous metro station running through the middle of a residential building - Liziba, Line 2, Chongqing Metro
Embedded video credited to the unaffiliated YouTube channel "Walk East" in accordance with YouTube's fair use policy.
