Throwback Thursday: Spending an Entire Day on the Beijing Subway
Throwback Thursday takes a look back into Beijing's past, using our 14-year-strong blog archives to glance at the weird and wonderful of yesteryear.
Spending a full day riding Beijing Subway might sound like a living hell, but when you include the word "challenge" into the mix, the prospect of sitting in Beijing's bowels for 24 hours suddenly becomes much more appealing.
The 'Jing's subway system has been expanding like an untamed beast since first operations began in 1969, and it's also the first and oldest subway system in mainland China. Can't live with it, can't live without it is how we tend to regard this concrete serpent, cursing it to hell when changing lines in Dongzhimen, but thanking the heavens for the Airport Express.
Back in 2011 and then again 2013, a couple of competitive Beijingers vowed to visit every single subway station in Beijing in one day. The first challenge was conducted as a real-time race between two Global Times reporters. The challenge required contestants to visit every single stop (arrive and depart) on the Beijing subway, including the Airport Express. At the time, the initial 10-hour journey estimate was disputed by the Beijinger team, who argued that it would rather likely require at least 12-13 hours. The journey would also cost less than the price of a jianbing, a ratio that probably still holds today.
Both of the contestants live-tweeted (and pasted into the comments section of the blog) as they whizzed around underground. Highlights included updates on feasting on boiled eggs and garlic sandwiches en route, as well as wondering why the girl next to them was crying and why exactly the Airport Express English announcements were so terrible.
The exact time of the completion of the challenge was never noted but the last messages conclude that it took a little over 16 arduous hours.
The second run in 2013 was an attempt to hit all 202 Beijing subway stops on the numbered subway lines (i.e. excluding the Batong Line). This attempt was taken on by an intrepid Australian and his son. The two estimated that it would take 11-12 hours to hit all the stations but ended up being 14 hours 24 minutes, which is still the official record.
As we know, the subway has grown into a mammoth warren since then, expanding to connect the ends of Line 10 and rolling out Line 6, among adding many other stops.
At the end of the day, when the city is buzzing with rush hour traffic, the most reliable mode of transportation remains, alas, the subway! Despite our love for this overall stellar system that helps us get to where we need to be, don't count on us to challenge these records anytime soon. Then again, no one's stopping you.
The subway sure has changed a lot:
With 53km of New Track, Beijing Subway Continues Expansion
Images: Channel News Asia, China Money Network
