Han Ximin

1824295095@qq.com

With its spectacular design, the newly opened Gangxia North Comprehensive Transport Hub in Futian District, a supersized underground station with interchanges to lines 2, 10 and 14, has become one of the must-see destinations along Metro Line 14 in the first weekend after the line started operation Friday.

Passengers, either making transfers or special visits with family members or friends, stopped over to take photos of the hub, whose ceilings are dotted with “shining stars” dubbed as its “Shenzhen Eye.” Sunlight penetrated the ceilings, creating an open and bright public space.

“The spaces are open, the facilities are modern and the environment is very clean, you are not aware that you are somewhere three or four floors underground,” a resident surnamed Huang said, lavishing praise on the hub’s modernness at an interview yesterday.

Huang made a special arrangement by bringing his parents to experience the engineering feat of the hub.

In addition to facial recognition at the entrances and wireless mobile phone chargers in train carriages, the driverless technology that visually struck visitors through the first carriage’s window attracted curious children as well as toddlers in their parents’ arms as the trains went through tunnels or pulled over at various stations.

Among the visitors were Oleksii Surovtsev, a Ukrainian who has been living in the city since 2013, and his wife Tetiana Biliavska and 4-year-old son Solomon. They went on a trip from Gangxia to Pingshan for must-see destinations along the line yesterday. The curious child asked his parents to go in front to the train’s first car.

“The first thing I notice is the toilets on the platforms of the transport hub. It is very convenient, especially for long-distance passengers so they don’t have to get out of the ticket readers to get to the toilet. They can go to the toilet directly and continue their trip on the next train,” Surovtsev said.

Aboard the train, the couple read through the line’s guide map and chose the destination for their family trip. Surovtsev, a fan of music and arts, decided to get off at Pingshan Center Station, where they can relax and enjoy sunshine at Pingshan Central Park. Within walking distance, they can head to Pingshan Library and read books to Solomon and then they can enjoy contemporary art at Pingshan Art Museum.

“It’s great that here in Shenzhen you have so many facilities for children within reach, where they can play and be close to modern contemporary art. Reading books is different from reading articles on the internet. Pingshan has libraries and art museums, and you don’t have to spend hours commuting to downtown. You can learn about art and science just next to your home,” Biliavska said.

Surovtsev recently started his own business in Huizhou City, which neighbors Pingshan. He said it is convenient to go on a business trip to downtown Shenzhen since Line 14 has cut the travel time to 50 minutes.

Surovtsev, enjoying a light meal and standing by the balcony of Pingshan Art Museum, looked at greenery of the park below him and the mountains in the distance. He said his next must-see destination is Maluan Mountain, Pingshan’s other gem, where his family can see waterfalls, old Hakka villages and beautiful natural sceneries.