TAKING Metro in Shenzhen has become the top choice for getting around the city for most locals and travelers. The Metro is fast, convenient and budget-saving as it links most areas of the downtown blocks, the transportation hubs, hotels, attractions and shopping sites. An underground network of restaurants and shops in the stations offers a quick bite for busy commuters and connects other building’s shopping spaces.

The Shenzhen Metro project was planned as early as 1992 and began construction in 1999, with the first phase including the Line 1 route between Luohu and Xiangmihu and the Line 4 route between Huanggang Checkpoint and Children’s Palace. In the morning of Dec. 28, 2004, the first train of Shenzhen Metro departed from Luohu Station to Window of the World Station. Currently, there are eight lines in operation and extensions and new lines have been planned for the next five years.

In recent years, in addition to providing comfortable and efficient services to passengers, the Metro has also collaborated with the Shenzhen Center for Public Art to install original public artworks inside some stations. Launched in 2016, the Shenzhen Metro Art Museum project, including sculptures, reliefs, frescos, installations and new media, helps create a better atmosphere for passengers and enhances the Metro’s function as both a transportation hub and an urban culture space.(Cao Zhen)