How I Tamed the Beijing Subway and Saved a Ton of Money

Subway Station, Beijing Airport District

My recent tour to Mongolia deposited us at a hotel near the Beijing Airport. The majority of people were flying out of there the next morning, but I had an extra day in the city since I was not returning directly to the US  but going on to Japan; my flight was a day later.  I had two pieces of unfinished business in Beijing from my trip there two years before and had been really looking forward to a day in the city.  For one, I wanted to visit a hutong, one of the remaining old narrow alley warrens of streets that have escaped demolition during the development of the city. The other was to shop at a particular store I had missed.

With these things in mind, I approached the hotel desk and asked if they could get me a driver. That didn't seem to register with anyone there, the majority of whom spoke limited English.  I then asked for the concierge.  That didn't work with because this airport transit hotel did not have a concierge. Finally, I asked for the manager who turned out to be very nice and spoke good English.  I told him I was looking for a driver for the day or, at least, a taxi.  He told me that I would be crazy to take a taxi in Beijing;  I had already experienced Beijing's exasperating traffic gridlock on my previous trip. He told me to go to breakfast and that he would have something for me when I returned.   

That something was this, a map of the Beijing subway with my stop marked.

Beijing Subway Map

If you look very carefully, and have very good eyes, you can see the English as well as the Chinese.  As I looked at it, my adrenaline surged as if I were facing a tiger; to me the Beijing subway had seemed incomprehensible and I had routinely avoided subways throughout my trips to China. But I had no choice- it was either skip the hutong and shopping expedition or get out there and get on the subway.

Carefully, following the instructions for getting to the subway, I walked to the station, which is the photo at the very top of this post.  I went in and encountered my first obstacle, buying a ticket from an automated machine with no English.  This is often the case with ticket vending machines in Chinese train and subway stations, although some of the larger stations do have actual ticket windows, which makes it easier. If not, someone will soon come up and ask if you need help; this has never failed.  I have had passing students, police and even station officials come and help me buy a ticket. To avoid having to deal with another machine, I bought an all-day ticket.

Inside the subway, itself, signs were alway in English, very clear and easy to follow.
Each stop is announced in English before arrival on an easy-to-see sign.  In Beijing there are two public languages, Mandarin, the local language, and English.  That means that no matter where you are from, Germany, India, Turkey, Egypt, wherever, if you don't know Mandarin, it is expected that you will know English.   

Sign, Beijing Subway

Sign, Beijing Subway

I easily made it to the stop at South Gong and Drum Lane (Nanluogo Xiang) and spent a wonderful few hours walking around this hutong which like many others had been partly turned into a retail area, although part is still residential.  Tours of the area are available for those who want them.

South Drum and Gong Lane hutong (Nanluogu Xiang), Beijing, China

South Drum and Gong Lane Hutong (Nanluogu Xiang), Beijing , China

Canal in South Drum and Gong Lane Hutong (Nanluogu Xiang),  Beijing, China

My plan had been to exit the hutong and catch a taxi in what I, correctly, assumed would be a busy street with lots of cabs.  The problem was, none of them would stop for me.  Many Chinese cabs these days operate with apps similar to Uber and I did not have one of these downloaded. 

I went into survival mode and glanced at my subway map managing to notice that the stop for the shopping mall, thanks to my prescient hotel manager, was miraculously circled. Suddenly a Beijing subway-pro, I turned around and headed for the subway.  Looking at the large color-coded map on the station wall, and matching it to my small map, I figured out which train I needed to take and where to get off.  It all seemed to easy and my only worry was what to do once I got off at the stop.  I figured, if need be, I could show the map to someone and use my down-loaded Chinese translation app to figure out the way. My worry was needless, because,voilà, the exit for the Indigo mall had been marked clear as day.

Mall entrance inside of subway

Interior of Indigo Mall, Beijing, China

I felt exuberant, went into the mall, made my purchases at what is one of my very favorite clothing stores and left, mission accomplished.

I returned to my hotel via subway and it was very easy because it was just retracing my steps and by that time was familiar with the subway map.   As it was fate had also provided me with a guide, a very lovely young Beijing woman with impeccable English who happened to be leaving the mall the same time as I.  I did not need her help, but we had a nice conversation.

Me, at the end of the day,  having successfully navigated the Beijing subway 

When I finally exited the subway station near my hotel, I felt as if I had climbed Mount Everest.  I had gotten around Beijing the entire day using only the subway and it had cost me all of  three dollars.  I owed a real debt to the hotel manager for insisting that the subway was the only sensible way for me to get around that day.  Otherwise,  I never would have discovered how easy it is to use the local subways. Thank you, Mr. Lee.