Overview
The Beijing Subway is a rapid transit system consisting of 30 lines with 541 stations spanning 909 km across 12 urban and suburban districts of Beijing and into one district of Langfang in neighbouring Hebei province. As of December 2023, it is the world's longest metro system by route length. The system opened in 1971, making it the oldest metro system in China and on mainland East Asia. Before rapid expansion began in 2002, Beijing had only two subway lines.
To ride the Beijing Subway end to end, you will need a ticket or fare card. Enter the station at a designated entrance, pass through security screening (bags go through an X-ray scanner), and proceed to the ticket vending machines or counters. Purchase a single-ride ticket or tap a rechargeable Yikatong card or contactless payment method at the fare gates to enter. Follow signage in English and Chinese to your platform, board the train when it arrives, and alight at your destination station. Tap or insert your ticket at the exit gates before leaving. You must complete your journey within four hours of entering the system to avoid a ¥3 surcharge.
The network
Metro and rapid transit lines
Beijing Subway lines generally follow a checkerboard layout across the city, with most lines through the urban core running parallel or perpendicular to each other, intersecting at right angles. The urban core is roughly outlined by Line 10, which runs beneath or just beyond the Third Ring Road.
- Line 1: A straight east–west line running underneath Chang'an Avenue and bisecting the city through Tiananmen Square. It connects major commercial centres including Xidan, Wangfujing, Dongdan, and the Beijing CBD.
- Line 2: An inner rectangular loop line tracing the Ming-era inner city wall, with stops at 11 of the wall's former gates (names ending in 门 men) and the Beijing Railway Station.
- Line 3: Runs from the eastern edge of the inner city to the northeast through Sanlitun, Chaoyang Park, and Chaoyang Railway Station.
- Line 4: A mainly north–south line running to the west of the city centre with stops at the Summer Palace, Old Summer Palace, Peking and Renmin Universities, Zhongguancun, National Library, Beijing Zoo, Xidan, and Beijing South Railway Station.
- Line 5: A straight north–south line running to the east of the city centre. It passes the Temple of Earth, Yonghe Temple, and the Temple of Heaven.
- Line 6: An east–west line running parallel and to the north of Line 1, passing through the city centre north of Beihai Park. At 53.4 km, it is the second longest Beijing Subway line, running from Shijingshan District in the west to the Beijing City Sub-Center in Tongzhou District.
- Line 7: An east–west line running parallel and to the south of Line 1, from Beijing West Railway Station to Universal Resort. It serves the old neighbourhoods of southern Beijing.
- Line 8: A north–south line following Beijing's central axis from Changping District through Huilongguan, the Olympic Green, Shichahai, and Nanluoguxiang, with stops at the National Art Museum and Wangfujing before continuing south through Zhushikou and Yongdingmen to Yinghai in Daxing District.
- Line 9: A north–south line running to the west of Line 4 from the National Library through the Military Museum and Beijing West Railway Station to Guogongzhuang in the southwestern suburbs.
- Line 10: The outer loop line running beneath or just beyond the Third Ring Road. Apart from the entirely enclosed Line 2 loop, every other line through the urban core intersects with Line 10.
- Line 12: Follows the northern section of the Third Ring Road and extends further east into Chaoyang.
- Line 13: Arcs across suburbs north of the city.
- Line 19: Runs through the urban core alongside Lines 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 2, connecting to seven or more other lines.
Airport rail links
- Capital Airport Express (首都机场快线): Connects Beijing Capital International Airport to the city centre, stopping at Sanyuanqiao on Line 10, Dongzhimen on Line 2, and Beixinqiao on Line 5. Trains operate every 10–15 minutes between 06:30 and 23:00.
- Daxing Airport Express (大兴机场快线): Connects Beijing Daxing International Airport to Caoqiao on Line 10. Trains run approximately every 10 minutes.
Light rail and tram lines
The Beijing Subway includes two light rail tram lines as part of its 30-line network.
Buses and other transit
Beijing has an extensive bus network serving areas not covered by the subway. Buses are accessible via the Yikatong card system (see Tickets & Fares below). Bus stops are clearly marked throughout the city.
Tickets & fares
Single-ride fares
The Beijing Subway charges fares according to trip distance on all lines except the two airport express lines. Fares start at ¥3 for a trip of up to 6 km, with ¥1 added for the next 6 km, and ¥1 for every 10 km thereafter until the trip distance reaches 32 km, then ¥1 for every 20 km beyond that. For example, a 40 km trip costs ¥7. Same-station transfers are free on all subway lines except the Capital Airport Express, Daxing Airport Express, Xijiao Line, and Yizhuang T1 Line, which require a new ticket when transferring to or from those lines.
The Capital Airport Express has a fixed fare of ¥25 per ride. The Daxing Airport Express offers both ordinary class (fares varying with distance from ¥10 to ¥35) and business class (fixed at ¥50 per ride).
Free and discounted fares
Children below 1.3 metres in height ride free when accompanied by a paying adult. Senior citizens over 65, individuals with physical disabilities, retired revolutionary cadres, police and military veterans, and military and People's Armed Police personnel ride free with valid documentation.
Ticket types and payment methods
Single-ride tickets: Flexible RFID-enabled plastic cards purchased at ticket vending machines or counters. Stations have two to fifteen vending machines. You must insert or scan the ticket at the gate both on entry and exit; it is then reused by the system.
Yikatong card (亿通行; Beijing Municipal Administration & Communication Card): A rechargeable integrated circuit card that stores credit for the subway, urban and suburban buses, and e-money for other purchases. The card itself must be purchased at the ticket counter. To enter a station, the card must have a minimum balance of ¥3.00. Yikatong card users who spend more than ¥100 on subway fares in a calendar month receive credits the following month: 20% credit on spending from ¥100 to ¥150, and 50% credit on spending from ¥150 to ¥250.
Mobile ticketing: Since January 20, 2019, the Yitongxing (亿通行) smartphone app allows purchase of unlimited-rides tickets with QR codes valid for one to seven days. Beginning in June 2017, single-journey tickets could be purchased via phone app, with QR code scanning for entry introduced in May 2018.
Contactless payment: As of January 2025, you may directly tap a contactless payment card (including international credit cards and JCB cards issued outside Mainland China) at fare gates to ride the subway.
Where and how to buy: Tickets and Yikatong credit can be purchased at ticket counters or vending machines in every station. Ticket counters offer English-language service. Vending machines accept cash (though may reject damaged or folded bills or 1-yuan notes) and local payment apps.
Journey rules and additional charges
Passengers must complete their journeys within four hours of entering the subway; if this limit is exceeded, a surcharge of ¥3 is imposed. Each Yikatong card is allowed to be overdrawn once, with the overdrawn amount deducted when credits are added later.
From the airport
Beijing Capital International Airport
Beijing's main airport is located 26 km northeast of the city centre. The most convenient public-transport option is the Capital Airport Express subway line. Trains operate every 10–15 minutes between 06:30 and 23:00, departing from Terminal 2 and stopping at Sanyuanqiao on Line 10, Dongzhimen on Line 2, and Beixinqiao on Line 5 (the Beixinqiao section opened on 31 December 2021). The journey to the city centre takes approximately 25 minutes, after which you must purchase a separate ticket for the subway to reach your final destination. The fare for the Capital Airport Express is fixed at ¥25. Outbound trains reach Terminal 3 in 25 minutes and Terminal 2 ten minutes after that. From Terminal 1, it is an 8-minute walk to Terminal 2.
Beijing Daxing International Airport
This newer airport, opened in September 2019, aims to handle 100 million passengers annually. The Daxing Airport Express connects it to Beijing Subway's outer loop Line 10 at Caoqiao. Tickets cost ¥35 for ordinary class and ¥50 for business class; machines require ID (non-Chinese passports are not accepted), so purchasing a ticket from a human cashier is the easiest option for new arrivals. The Express takes about 22 minutes to Caoqiao and runs approximately every 10 minutes. Airport shuttle buses also serve several city points for ¥25–40 (about 90 minutes), and a metered taxi to central Beijing is roughly ¥200 including expressway toll (60–90 minutes for approximately 46 km). Ride-hailing via Didi works if you have WeChat Pay or Alipay set up.
Etiquette & customs
Queue orderly to board trains and respect the queue system at all times. When standing on escalators, stand on the left side to allow others to walk past on the right.
Priority seating is provided for elderly passengers, pregnant women, and people with disabilities; offer your seat if you are able. Eating and drinking are not permitted on the subway; water is acceptable in some areas, but alcohol and food are banned. Keep the carriages clean and do not litter.
During rush hours (typically 07:00–10:00 and 17:00–20:00 on weekdays), the system experiences severe crowding. Staff may physically assist with boarding and alighting during these times. Avoid these periods if possible. Speak quietly and maintain composure; avoid blocking doors or aisles.
Security screening is mandatory at station entrances; bags are scanned through an X-ray machine. Processing is typically fast (about 5 seconds). Be prepared to remove large items from bags if requested.
Survival terms
- 地铁 (dìtiě) — Subway/Metro
- 票 (piào) — Ticket
- 线 (xiàn) — Line
- 入口 (rùkǒu) — Entrance
- 出口 (chūkǒu) — Exit
- 换乘 (huàn chéng) — Transfer
- 单程票 (dānchéng piào) — Single fare
- 一卡通 (yīkǎtōng) — Yikatong card / Multi-journey pass
Download a Beijing Subway map on your phone and take a moment to familiarize yourself with the colour-coded lines and key transfer stations before your journey, as this will save you time navigating the busy network during your visit.