Our ExploreShanghai metro map is great for finding stations and plotting routes, but what if you’re away from the computer? We now provide a handy PDF version of the Shanghai metro map in A4 size, which you can print out and take with you on your trip.
The map neatly fits on one page, and although its only 105KB, it’s high resolution so it will look great when printed out.
The map is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license. That means you’re welcome to print it out, email it to a friend or put a copy on your site. If you want to use the map commercially (for example, printing it in a guidebook or magazine), please contact us.
We’d love your feedback on the new printable version. Does it print out correctly on your machine? Would you like any information added or changed?
Currently, the PDF is for the Shanghai Metro, English only. A Chinese version and PDFs for Beijing and Guangzhou. will follow soon.
It was pitch dark and freezing cold as I sat outside Songjiang Xincheng metro station at 5.45am on Monday morning, eating dumplings for breakfast. I had set myself the challenge of visiting every Shanghai Metro Station in one day, and was thinking this was not the most glamorous of beginnings. After a few minutes the staff rolled up the shutters and let me and a few other bleary-eyed commuters into the station.
My route took me along line 9 to Yishan Road, up and down line 3, all the way around the circular line 4, then onto line 2 into Pudong. It was now mid-rush hour and the trains and stations were packed.
As each train reaches the terminus, a small snatch of Kenny G is played over the loudspeaker. After Kenny played his sax at Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, I headed back to Century Avenue, then onto line 6 north into the depths of Pudong - all while I would usually be asleep Throughout the day I was updating Twitter from my phone, and getting messages of support from the many people following from their desks!
Heading south down line 6, I managed to meet up with agent 00J, who kindly brought me a sandwich. At the south end of line 6, we took a shortcut via bus to Line 8. I then headed on alone to the north end of line 8, where I managed to dash into the toilet for a much-needed comfort break (Note for would-be imitators: a strong bladder is a must)
I was making good time, and was already an hour and a half ahead of my plan! At Hongkou Football Stadium station, I transferred back onto line 3. Hongkou Stadium is a ‘virtual interchange’ which involves crossing a main road and running up several flights of stairs! Up to the north ends of line 3, then time for another bus transfer. I managed to mess this one up, ending up running over a kilometre trying to find the bus stop. Still, before long I was at Fujin Road on line 1.
Then there was just one long journey southwards the length of Line 1, through the start of the evening rush hour. At Xinzhuang. I transferred onto Line 5 towards Minhang in south-west Shanghai.
We pulled into Minhang Development Zone Station, the final station, at 4:14pm. I had finally made it in 10 hours, 14 minutes and 42 seconds, surpassing my expectations, and hopefully providing a tough target for Wang Jian Shuo to beat
After completing the challenge I had to get home, so I took the metro. Somehow I had made it through the day without caffeine, and believe me when I say crappy McDonald’s coffee has never tasted so good…
Here’s my route… if you think you can beat my time, then start researching on the interactive metro map! If you want to take the challenge, just contact us and I can answer any questions!
On Monday 19th January I will attempt to visit every Shanghai Metro station in one day!
In the last five years the Shanghai Metro system it’s grown from three lines to eight, with 147 stations. It’s now the largest network in China and the sixth largest in the world. In London, people have been doing the Tube Challenge for decades, but as far as I know, this is the first attempt with the current network in Shanghai (feel free to prove me wrong in the comments). By 2020, I fear it will be impossible to visit every station in a day!
I’ll be sending updates via Twitter during the challenge, and supporters are welcome to cheer me on. Find out:
Here are the rules I will follow, based on the rules on the London tube forum site
All stations served by Shanghai Metro underground and light rail services (line 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9) must be visited in a single day.
To visit a station, you must arrive and/or depart by an metro train in normal public service.
It is necessary for a through train to stop at the station for the visit to count, although you do not need to get out.
If a stations has two separated parts which share the same name, they must each be visited. This applies to Pudian Road (line 4, line 6), Hongkou Football Stadium (line 3, line 8), Shanghai Railway Station (line 1, line 3/4) and Yishan Road (line 3/9, line 4).
Feet or public buses may be used to transfer from one metro line to another. The use of private motor vehicles, taxis or any other form of privately arranged transport (bicycles, skateboards, Haibao-pulled chariot etc) is not acceptable.
It is not necessary to cover every stretch of track on the network
A log book should be kept throughout the whole journey.
The clock must start the moment the doors close on the first train taken by the challenger(s). It must stop the moment the challenger(s) set foot on the platform at the last station.
147 stations, eight lines, one manic Monday. Wish me luck!
Several people have noticed the fun loading messages which appear while our metro maps for Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou are loading.
To celebrate the festive season, we’ve written some new loading messages with the theme “Christmas with Chinese characteristics”. Check it out on one of our maps: SHBJGZ.
Every so often you run into something so completely wonderful, it forces you to ask yourself, “how the hell did I never hear of this before?”
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ExploreMetro should be a nice reference for China’s many expats and foreign visitors who opt not to waste time or money hopping into taxis to get wherever they want to go when the subway is equally accessible and often times much faster.
Now these pages are more colourful and interesting with the addition of local photos! Powered by Panoramia.com, you can now see photos taken in the geographical area around each metro station.
Inspired by the work of bloggers in Toronto and London I have created my own anagrammed map of the Shanghai Metro!
So if you’ve ever fancied travelling from I’m a hot dashing dinosaur (Shanghai Indoor Stadium) to Thoroughly Hawaiian Satanists (Shanghai South Railway Station) to Drab Penguin (Nanpu Bridge) now is your chance!
Note for pedants: I used the common English name of the station as posted on signboards, spelling out directions e.g. South Lingyan Road. For some challenging stations (particularly the ones with lots of Xs and Zs I added “station” e.g. Dongjing Station -> Standing, I jog not.
Looking for an apartment, but fed up with searching lots of different websites? Try out the Shanghai Housing Scanner which combines results from many different classifieds sites in Shanghai.
Throughout the day I was updating Twitter from my phone, and getting messages of support from the many people following from their desks!
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