The Fantastic 4

By Cui Xiaohuo (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-25 11:08

Beijing's new Line 4 subway line will save time and money for millions of local people and reflects the capital's rapid transformation as a truly international city.

Stretching from the Summer Palace in the northwest of the city to the southern part of the metropolis which holds 5 million people, the new engineering marvel not only boosts the quality of life for local but is incredibly useful for new visitors to Beijing.

There are scores of shops and traditional attractions along the 24 exquisitely designed new subway stations.

Authorities and developers, a Beijing-Hong Kong MTR partnership, both said they believe the 15 billion yuan ($2.2 billion) transit line will boost the commerce, tourism and property market along the route.

Already property prices and rents have soared by more than 50 percent along the new line.

METRO closely followed the new route and discovered that daily commuters, shoppers and fans of Chinese culture are the big winners.

Daily commuters

Residents living in Xuanwu and Fengtai districts in south Beijing say they expect their daily commuting time to be cut in half once the new line opens.

Zheng Yang, a businessman who has rented an apartment in an old neighborhood south of Caishikou Station on Line 4, said the location of the subway was the main reason he and his girlfriend to lived in the area.

"It is definitely a luxury for us. We don't need to have a car in the next few years," said the 29-year-old.

"We figured that we can both go to work or go shopping within 30 minutes once the new line opens."

Residents also expect to see fewer potentially dangerous three-wheel motorbikes carrying residents back and forth from their homes and to the distant subway stations during rush hour.

Shoppers

The sharp rise in the number of shoppers over last weekend at the commercial clusters along the line has already alarmed authorities.

But with the new line opening up, shop owners might need to prepare for an even bigger rush.

Line 4 links the north and south ends of the city's densely populated and commercialized west side. It allows anybody to travel between any of the seven shopping clusters of the capital within 30 minutes.

The New Zhongguan Shopping Center near Haidian and Huangzhuang station is the favorite destination for college students while the Shuang'an Market near Renmin University station attracts a well-heeled crowd.

These are just two examples of the shopping areas along the new line.

Tourists

For those who enjoy the traditional culture in Beijing, Line 4 is not just about traveling times and spending money it also provides access to some of the most popular tourists areas in the city.

Stations near the Summer Palace and the Yuanmingyuan Park have been especially built for lovers of Chinese culture.

Today, Beijing residents would still enjoy an afternoon walk along the lakes in the Summer Palace outside Beigongmen Station.

There are also a lot of cultural heritage landmarks on route, such as the book cafes near the East Gate of Peking University station and the Chinese opera and story-telling performances near Caishikou and Xuanwumen stations.