Traveling via the subway is quick and clean. If it goes where you want to go, definitely try it. I took a taxi ride to the station for RMB 10 and then rode all the way to Tiananmen. It costs RMB 3 for however far you are going.

There are two main lines, "1" is the horizontal line and "2" is the loop line that follows the inner ring road. You may need to transfer between line 1 and 2 but this is quick and easy.

Signs on either side of the tracks tell you the upcoming stations so have a look to see which side you need to join the train on. You might want to count your stops so you know when to get off. Announcements are in Chinese and English, but not always easy to hear.

---

The Beijing Subway viewed at street level. Most maps & guidebooks will show you the subway line. Ask your hotel how far to the nearest one. Get them to write the name of it down in Chinese. Then on the street you can ask people to point you in that direction. You should learn to ask "Subway station at where?" : (roll your mouse over for audio) If you have the English/Chinese "Beijing Tourist Map" stations are cryptically marked with a red circled "D" standing for "Ditie Zhan (subway station). Get a ticket for 3 yuan at the Ticket Office The central part of the subway line includes tourist destinations such as Tiananmen East and West, Wangfujing, Qianmen and Beijing Zhan (railway station). Signs show which side of the platform you should board on and allow you to calculate how many stops you need to go. It also shows travel time to stations. The greyed stops are behind you and to go there you'd board on the opposite side of the platform. The red and blue circular arrows show the interchange stops between Line 1 and Line 2. For more information on the Beijing Subway visit the Urban Rail web site.