Guangzhou subway
Coming to Foshan on a furniture tour you will first find yourself in Guangzhou - one of the Chinese megapolises. Since Guangzhou is the third-largest city in China, the transportation system here is very developed, including the subway. Guangzhou underground railway was opened in 1997 and it was the fourth metro system in China. Now it owns 14 lines, 259 stations and its mileage is 476.3 km. Every line has its own colour and number and it’s definitely very convenient. Most stations are underground, however, some stations located at the ends of the lines are also located above the ground.
Quick facts about Guangzhou subway
An interesting fact about the subway is that it is the only metro system in the world that connects two cities - Guangzhou and Foshan. That is why you can easily get to any place in Guangzhou just staying in Foshan city. You can also download the Explore Guangzhou Metro Map application for your Android or iOS, which won't let you get lost in Guangzhou subway.
However, you cannot get to the furniture markets by metro, as this area does not yet have a metro system. But if you decide to visit Guangzhou, then the subway will be the best transportation because it allows you to get to any place in the city as well as it helps to avoid traffic jams especially during rush-hours.
How does Guangzhou subway work
The metro operates daily from approximately 6:00 to 23:30, however, each line has its own specific opening and closing time. So the terminal stations of the green line Kuiqi Lu and Xilang, which connects Guangzhou and Foshan, opens at 6:00 and closes at 22:30 and 23:00.
The entrance to the station can be identified by the red sign with two diverging yellow lines in Guangzhou and the same sign on a green background in Foshan. The names of the stations are written in simplified Chinese and English. At the entrance, you need to put the bag on the tape of the X-ray scanner and pass through the metal detector frame.
Guangzhou subway fare
The price depends on the distance you travel. It usually ranges from 2 to 12 RMB. A trip from Foshan to Guangzhou city centre will cost about 8-9 RMB.
There are several common types of Guangzhou metro tickets:
1) A token. There is a Ticket Vendor Machine at each metro station in Guangzhou where you can buy a token. You just need to know the name of the station you are going to. The machines only accept 5/10 yuan bank notes, 0.5/1 yuan coins and Chinese payment app as Wechat and Alipay.
2) Travel cards for 24 or 72 hours. These cards provide an unlimited amount of trips for a certain time. The cost of these cards is 20 and 50 yuan, respectively. You can buy them at the box office.
3) Deposit card. This option is suitable for you if you plan to stay longer in Guangzhou or come here next time. This card can be bought and charged at the 7-eleven stores or at the box office.
Features of Guangzhou Subway
Almost every station is equipped with special monitors which show the time of arrival of the next train. The waiting time usually doesn’t exceed 5 minutes.
Each train has electronic displays that show passengers which station that is at now. Stations are announced in three languages: Simplified Chinese (Mandarin), Cantonese (South China dialect) and English.
Air conditioning is very popular in China and the metro is not an exception, so even if it is very hot outside, we recommend you to take a light cardigan to put on while being in the subway.
Each metro station has several exits which are indicated by Latin letters A, B, C and so on. Also, sometimes exits may have the same letter but different numbers, for example: A1, A2, A3. It’s better to know which exit you need in advance or refer to a special sign in the main hall where you can find information about main streets, shops or tourist attractions that are located near by a particular exit.
People take subway pretty much every day in different parts of our world. However Guangzhou Metro has several differences:
The already mentioned a fare system, so the price depends on the distance of your trip.
Guangzhou subway is comparatively new, that's why it’s not so noisy down there.
The subway has glass sliding doors for passenger's safety. Doors open only when the train arrives and close when it leaves.
Security. There is baggage check at each subway station and security doors on the platform.
Basically all the subway systems in China are pretty similar, so the description given above is useful for any Chinese city.
If you are planning to expirience our GLOBUS furniture tour please contact our manager for more information.