Last Night at Canton Tower Metro: Nearly My Terminus!
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Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at a "Warning Post," hoping that you'll avoid the pitfalls I've encountered during my experience in Guangzhou (also known as Canton) the day before and during the May Day holiday. Visiting Canton Tower, a remarkable landmark TV tower in Guangzhou, was frightening beyond belief!
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Concerns about traffic restrictions and difficulty in hailing taxis:
- First of all, every road around the Canton Tower has been closed to traffic! We originally planned to explore Haixin Bridge (a beautiful pedestrian bridge) located nearby, but although the navigation app had said it would take only 8 minutes to walk there, due to the traffic control, we had to detour for at least another half an hour! We gave up.
- Also, no taxis were allowed into the area either, ostensibly for safety - everyone supposedly needed to travel by subway instead.
- Our plan was to catch a cab to Foshan (a city adjacent to Guangzhou) as soon as evening fell, so after trying hard to squeeze through the crowds to get to a street with a taxi stand, we tried asking a guard where to catch a cab. He directed us to walk about 500 meters straight ahead. However, we finally found out from another guard who said it would be another kilometer.
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Concerns about taking a subway ride:
- To be honest, this is actually quite ridiculous! We kept walking on the road, our phones were close to out of power (one common ailment that afflicts travelers - ahem!), so we begrudgingly walked back to the subway station as our last resort.
- From 10 pm to almost 11 pm, we waited for the very last train which left at 11:17 pm. All along the security personnel at the entrance kept urging people to move faster, saying "hurry up, its going to be last train!" of course everyone did speed up!
- But... once we reached the platform, there was no orderliness to keep track of boarding the train. As soon as the train arrived, everyone rushed forward in a mad dash. The feeling of being pressed against each other and not being able to control your movements made me realize how terrifying the news reports about stampede events can be!
- One of my friends was pushed over and nearly suffocated. We immediately shouted, "Don't crowd! Someone is falling!" and when the crowd slightly dispersed, we managed to pull her up.
- Originally I planned to just take one stop and continue to flag down a cab, but there was no way out of the metro! And behind us more people kept trying to get onto the train, I even saw someone's feet stuck between two train doors! The following station was no better, it took us great efforts to get off the train.
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My Sarcasm:
- What on earth is a "regulatory evacuation"? Not allowing people to travel by taxies, getting everyone to crowd in the buses, no one regulating the flow of passengers on board - isn't this more a source of confusion than anything else?!
- We certainly have seen things in our lives, after concerts there're often equally vast crowds of people leaving, but all of them are much more orderly! This experience was simply too disconcerting, I'm now rather anxious thinking back on it.
️ Important Reminders for Foreigners: Avoid Pitfalls- Avoid visiting popular tourist sites during holidays: If possible, avoid traveling during Chinese public holidays like May Day or National Day, especially to famous locations such as the Canton Tower. The crowds can be overwhelming!
- Explanation: During Chinese public holidays, everyone comes out to play; major tourist attractions such as the Canton Tower will always be crowded.
- Be prepared for traffic and transportation disruptions: Locations close to popular tourist spots may have traffic control measures in place, making it difficult for taxies or ride-sharing services to enter the area. Prepare yourself to rely on public transit (like the metro).
- Subway stations especially during the busy hours of travel, particularly as the final trains come through, it is advisable to take extreme caution. Crowds are usually dense and strong in these stations.
- How to handle it: Try to avoid the crowding at peak times. If you feel that it's unsafe to stay on the platform, make sure your safety comes first, even if you wait for some time (provided that the train is not the last one of the day).
- Keep your phone charged: This is essential! If you don't have power then you won't be able to navigate, contact friends or check information, even if a taxi does manage to pick you up.
- Stay with your group: When travelling in groups, if the place is crowded, make sure to hold hands or stay close together in case you become separated or encounter any unfortunate incidents.
- Travel during off-peak periods: If you must visit during public holidays, consider going early in the morning after they open, or pick a less frequently visited or less central place.
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Where are there fewer people for May Day? Which attractions are less crowded?
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Guangzhou should learn from Beijing. During holidays, the Canton Tower station should just skip stops. If you want the subway, walk to the stations before or after it. If you want a taxi, walk out of the scenic area first. Wouldn't that be so much better?
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That's impossible. The stations before and after Canton Tower are Zhujiang New Town and Kecun. Zhujiang New Town already handles huge crowds. Plus, tourists aren't going to cross the Pearl River just to catch the subway. Kecun is also a major hub and always packed.
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I don't know why crowd control around Canton Tower is so poor. It's quite good on Beijing Road, but it's just not working at the Canton Tower. I'm a Guangzhou local and I've been there twice during holidays. Each time, I either couldn't find the designated subway entrance and ended up walking a long way for nothing, or it was just an absolute sea of people.
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There's no defending this, it's true. On one hand, crowd control is poor. On the other hand, it's really down to the bad habits and inconsiderate behavior of many subway riders these days. For instance, many people get on, take a couple of steps, then just stop right there, regardless of how many stops they're going. This clogs up the doorway area completely, while the sides are empty. Another example: 'let passengers off before boarding' has been taught for ages, yet so many people just rush to squeeze on as soon as the train arrives, as if their brains are mush. If they just thought for a second, they'd realize that if you don't let people off, how can there be space for new passengers?
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Oh, don't worry, you won't have to wait for summer vacation. The Dragon Boat Festival at the end of May will bring another wave of tourists to Guangzhou, and then Guangzhou will get another batch of 'what to avoid' posts.
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Seriously, please don't come. As a local, I was nearly crushed to death on the subway last night.
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I'm in Shenzhen and I don't even dare to go out. I just stay home every day.
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Thanks for not coming. We Guangzhou locals are begging you to spare us.
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I don't even dare to go anywhere near tourist attractions.
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Tourist spots are crowded.
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Go check out Haizhu Lake. It's free, and you can even go boating there.
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What? Boating is free too? I didn't see that option last time I went.
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Oh dear... to be honest, we locals find it super crowded too, and there's not much we can do. I don't want so many people coming to Guangzhou either. I also find it incredibly packed; the day before yesterday, I couldn't even get a taxi, and I couldn't squeeze onto the subway. Nobody wants this. Next time you come to Guangzhou, try to avoid public holidays, because it gets really, really crowded. Most people have limited time off from work or school, so everyone goes out during holidays. It's not like this every day; on weekdays, the streets are practically empty.
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I'm in Guangzhou, and I feel like there are tons of people everywhere every day. But it's true, people from nearby cities could have a slightly better experience if they avoided public holidays.
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Forget public holidays, even the daily commute is like that.
and guess what? Beijing actually had fewer people than Guangzhou!!