Monthly Archives: January 2012

The Joy of Six: introducing Explore Taipei 6.0 with Orange Line Extension, top tips

We’re proud to announce that Explore Taipei is the fourth of our award-winning subway maps for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to reach version 6.0


Version 6.0 includes the new branch of the Orange Line (Xinzhuang Line) including stations between Taipei Bridge and Fu Jen University.

With version 6.0 we re-wrote the map code from the ground up to be faster. The app now loads quicker, and zooming in and out should be smooth, even on older devices.

The other big new feature is tips. Ever wondered what points of interest are close to a subway stop? Now you can tap on any station, then tap on Tips to see what’s nearby.

Tap the thumbs up button on any tip which you find useful. And if you know a great local restaurant, attraction or a clever shortcut, you can add your own tip:

You can also view a list of the most popular tips for the whole city.

Explore Taipei 6.0 is a free update for existing users. Not got Explore Taipei yet? Download it now from the iTunes App Store.

Coming soon: prices with/without Octopus cards

The next version of our Explore Hong Kong app will include a much-requested feature: you’ll be able to choose to see prices with or without an Octopus Card. To keep the interface uncluttered, you’ll be able to select whether you want to see prices with or without a card in the Help tab.

This idea came from our feedback forum: if you haven’t visited yet, do browse the existing suggestions and vote on any you’d like to see in our apps! Popular suggestions include Android versions, bike information and showing the Huangpu River on our Shanghai app.

The Joy of Six: introducing Explore Singapore 6.0 with Circle Line Extension, top tips

We’re proud to announce that Explore Singapore is the third of our award-winning subway maps for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to reach version 6.0


Version 6.0 includes the newly opened Circle Line extension with new stations at Bayfront and Marina Bay.

With version 6.0 we re-wrote the map code from the ground up to be faster. The app now loads quicker, and zooming in and out should be smooth, even on older devices.

The other big new feature is tips. Ever wondered what points of interest are close to a subway stop? Now you can tap on any station, then tap on Tips to see what’s nearby.

Tap the thumbs up button on any tip which you find useful. And if you know a great local restaurant, attraction or a clever shortcut, you can add your own tip:

You can also view a list of the most popular tips for the whole city.

Explore Singapore 6.0 is a free update for existing users. Not got Explore Singapore yet? Download it now from the iTunes App Store.

Hong Kong MTR station names in Cantonese (Jyutping)

In the next version of Explore Hong Kong, we want to include the Cantonese transliterations, using the Jyutping transliteration system, for all Hong Kong MTR stations. Here’s a first attempt. If you have any corrections, do leave a note in the comments!

English Chinese Jyutping
Admiralty 金鐘 gam1 zung1
Airport 機場 gei1 coeng4
AsiaWorld-Expo 博覽館 bok3 laam5 gun2
Austin 柯士甸 o1 si6 din1
Causeway Bay 銅鑼灣 tung4 lo4 waan1
Central 中環 zung1 waan4
Chai Wan 柴灣 caai4 waan1
Che Kung Temple 車公廟 ce1 gung1 miu6
Cheung Sha Wan 長沙灣 coeng4 saa1 waan1
Choi Hung 彩虹 coi2 hung4
City One 第一城 dai6 jat1 sing4
Diamond Hill 鑽石山 zyun3 sek6 saan1
Disneyland Resort 迪士尼 dik6 si6 nei4
East Tsim Sha Tsui 尖東 zim1 dung1
Fanling 粉嶺 fan2 leng5
Fo Tan 火炭 fo2 taan3
Fortress Hill 炮台山 paau3 toi4 saan1
Hang Hau 坑口 haang1 hau2
Heng Fa Chuen 杏花邨 hang6 faa1 cyun1
Heng On 恆安 hang4 on1
Hong Kong 香港 hoeng1 gong2
Hung Hom 紅磡 hung4 ham3
Jordan 佐敦 zo2 deon1
Kam Sheung Road 錦上路 gam2 soeng6 lou6
Kowloon 九龍 gau2 lung4
Kowloon Bay 九龍灣 gau2 lung4 waan1
Kowloon Tong 九龍塘 gau2 lung4 tong4
Kwai Fong 葵芳 kwai4 fong1
Kwai Hing 葵興 kwai4 hing1
Kwun Tong 觀塘 gun1 tong4
Lai Chi Kok 荔枝角 lai6 zi1 gok3
Lai King 荔景 lai6 ging2
Lam Tin 藍田 laam4 tin4
Lo Wu 羅湖 lo4 wu4
LOHAS Park 康城 hong1 sing4
Lok Fu 樂富 lok6 fu3
Lok Ma Chau 落馬洲 lok6 maa5 zau1
Long Ping 朗屏 long5 ping4
Ma On Shan 馬鞍山 maa5 on1 saan1
Mei Foo 美孚 mei5 fu1
Mong Kok 旺角 wong6 gok3
Mong Kok East 旺角東 wong6 gok3 dung1
Nam Cheong 南昌 naam4 coeng1
Ngau Tau Kok 牛頭角 ngau4 tau4 gok3
North Point 北角 bak1 gok3
Olympic 奧運 ou3 wan6
Po Lam 寶琳 bou2 lam4
Prince Edward 太子 taai3 zi2
Quarry Bay 鰂魚涌 zak1 jyu4 cung1
Racecourse 馬場 maa5 coeng4
Sai Wan Ho 西灣河 sai1 waan1 ho2
Sha Tin 沙田 saa1 tin4
Sha Tin Wai 沙田圍 saa1 tin4 wai4
Sham Shui Po 深水埗 sam1 seoi2 bou2
Shau Kei Wan 筲箕灣 saau1 gei1 waan1
Shek Kip Mei 石硤尾 shek6 kip3 mei5
Shek Mun 石門 shek6 mun4
Sheung Shui 上水 soeng6 seoi2
Sheung Wan 上環 soeng6 waan4
Siu Hong 兆康 siu6 hong1
Sunny Bay 欣澳 jan1 ou3
Tai Koo 太古 taai3 ku2
Tai Po Market 大埔墟 daai6 bou3 heoi1
Tai Shui Hang 大水坑 daai6 seoi2 haang1
Tai Wai 大圍 daai3 wai4
Tai Wo 太和 taai3 wo4
Tai Wo Hau 大窩口 daai6 wo1 hau2
Tin Hau 天后 tin1 hau6
Tin Shui Wai 天水圍 tin1 seoi2 wai4
Tiu Keng Leng 調景嶺 tiu4 king2 leng5
Tseung Kwan O 將軍澳 zoeng1 gwan1 ou3
Tsim Sha Tsui 尖沙咀 zim1 saa1 zeoi2
Tsing Yi 青衣 cing1 ji1
Tsuen Wan 荃灣 cyun4 waan1
Tsuen Wan West 荃灣西 cyun4 waan1 sai1
Tuen Mun 屯門 tyun4 mun4
Tung Chung 東涌 dung1 cung1
University 大學 daai6 hok6
Wan Chai 灣仔 waan1 zai2
Wong Tai Sin 黃大仙 wong4 daai6 sin1
Wu Kai Sha 烏溪沙 wu1 kai1 saa1
Yau Ma Tei 油麻地 jau4 maa4 dei2
Yau Tong 油塘 jau4 tong4
Yuen Long 元朗 jyun4 long5

Shanghai Metro Line 4 partial closure over Chinese New Year

The Shanghai Metro company announced that services will be suspended on half of Line 4, the circular line, over the Spring Festival Break. The work is necessary due to subsidence at Hailun Road Station.

Line 4 will temporarily operate on the segment between Yishan Road and Linping Road only. On most of the missing section, this won’t be too much of a problem as Line 3 services call at all stations between Baoshan Road and Yishan Road. However note that Linping Road is now something of a dead-end (click to enlarge map).

The shutdown will last from January 23 to 28. Normal operations will resume after the holidays.

Singapore MRT Circle Line Extension opens

It’s been a tough few months for commuters in Singapore, with frequent breakdowns plaguing the usually reliable MRT system. Finally there’s some good news for Singaporeans as the long-awaited Circle Line Extension opens! The new link connects the Circle Line with a new station at Bayfront and an interchange with the North South Line at Marina Bay.

We’ve updated our online map with the new stations, an update to our Explore Singapore MRT iPhone app will be available soon.

The Joy of Six: introducing Explore Shanghai 6.0 with bus info, top tips

We’re proud to announce that Explore Shanghai is the second of our award-winning subway maps for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to reach version 6.0


With version 6.0 we re-wrote the map code from the ground up to be faster. The app now loads quicker, and zooming in and out should be smooth, even on older devices.

The other big new feature is tips. Ever wondered what points of interest are close to a subway stop? Now you can tap on any station, then tap on Tips to see what’s nearby. We’ve even included bus information for every metro station: check Tips to see which buses stop in the vicinity of the metro station.

Tap the thumbs up button on any tip which you find useful. And if you know a great local restaurant, attraction or a clever shortcut, you can add your own tip:

You can also view a list of the most popular tips for the whole city.

Explore Shanghai 6.0 is a free update for existing users. Not got Explore Shanghai yet? Download it now from the iTunes App Store.

The Joy of Six: introducing Explore Beijing 6.0 with new subway lines, top tips

We’re proud to announce that Explore Beijing is the first of our award-winning subway maps for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to reach version 6.0

With version 6.0 we re-wrote the map code from the ground up to be faster. The app now loads quicker, and zooming in and out should be smooth, even on older devices.

The other big new feature is tips. Ever wondered what points of interest are close to a subway stop? Now you can tap on any station, then tap on Tips to see what’s nearby:

Tap the thumbs up button on any tip which you find useful. And if you know a great local restaurant, attraction or a clever shortcut, you can add your own tip:

 

You can also view a list of the most popular tips for the whole city.

And of course we’ve brought Explore Beijing fully up to date for 2012 with the latest lines and stations: find journey times on the new Line 9, Line 8 extension and Line 15 extension.

Explore Beijing 6.0 is a free update for existing users. Not got Explore Beijing yet? Download it now from the iTunes App Store.





On Dear Passengers – Are They Banning Photography on the Beijing Subway?

David Feng on Dear Passengers

Yours truly has recently heard of a few disturbing cases where some riders (especially young riders) have been harassed for taking pictures at some Beijing Subway stations.

No law in China forbids photography inside trains or at stations, but it is an offence under at least the Beijing Subway regulations “to remain for an extended period of time” (久留) inside stations, especially on the platforms or concourses.

Read the full article at DearPassengers.com >>