Hit song transforms metro stop into cultural hot spot

A hit song named after the Jiahewanggang metro station in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, has rekindled people's memories and triggered their emotions nationwide. "Next stop, we'll each head our own way, breaking up in Jiahewanggang's night," goes a line in the song sung by Hailai Amu, a member of the Yi ethnic group, in his gravelly, evocative voice.

The metro station opened in 2010 in Wanggang village in the Jiahe subdistrict of Guangzhou's Baiyun district. It handles a daily passenger flow of up to 380,000 people, second only to Tiyuxilu station on the city's urban rail network — and sometimes surpassing it.

It's located at the confluence of Guangzhou's Metro Lines 2, 3 and 14, linking to Baiyun International Airport to the north and three railway stations to the south.

Because of its unique geographical location, Jiahewanggang has become known as a station for bidding farewell, either to a past life or to a relationship, for countless people in the city. Guangzhou is a city of 20 million people, including 8.2 million migrant workers.

"People always say Jiahewanggang wishes you a bright future and also we'll never meet again," said Hailai Amu, the singer who once came to Guangzhou to pursue his music dreams.

"I was deeply touched when I heard this, so I decided to create a song together with my good friend."

When the song was released on Jan 22, it immediately struck a chord with netizens. It was streamed more than a billion times, and people shared stories related to the metro station online.

Yezi, a netizen from Hunan province, recalled his days in Guangzhou: "My daughter, very little at that time, always mimicked the announcement for the station in Cantonese: 'Next stop, Jiahewanggang'."

A netizen surnamed Li said, "Jiahewanggang not only facilitates citizens and tourists but also sees the joys and sorrows of life."

The emotions expressed by members of the public have even been echoed by government officials, who have taken the opportunity to promote the city's image through the song. Guangzhou Mayor Sun Zhiyang recommended the song when speaking at the annual session of the Guangdong People's Congress on Jan 27.

"I sincerely invite tourists from home and abroad to visit Guangzhou and spend the Chinese New Year in the city. You can see the 'Greater Bay Area Rooster' and enjoy the song Jiahewanggang," Sun said, referring to the nickname of the dolphin mascot for the National Games.

With a long history of absorbing its migrant population and opening up to the world, Guangzhou prides itself on being a city of inclusiveness and openness while preserving its own culture.

Inside Jiahewanggang station, dedicated spaces show the culture of Canton, Cantonese Opera, colored porcelain, delicacies, distinctive architecture and other Lingnan cultural elements.

After the song went viral, an increasing number of tourists from near and far have made special trips to take photos and record videos at the station. "May your journey ahead be as beautiful as a tapestry of flowers, and may there be a reunion waiting for you," a new poster in the station says.

Another poster reads: "When it comes to matters of love, the subway keeps silent. When it comes to your future, the subway wishes you well."

While Jiahewanggang was adopted as the song's name, the metro station has elegantly evolved into an urban cultural tourism landmark. "Besides departures, Jiahewanggang is seeing more reunions," the Guangzhou metro authority said on its official WeChat account.

Liu Zhicheng, deputy chairman and general manager of Guangzhou Metro, said a subway is the beating pulse of a city, with each station recording the steady footsteps of urban contributors and pursuers of dreams.

"Guangzhou Metro embraces openness, inclusiveness and order, with every traveler departing and returning here with dreams in their hearts," said Liu, who is also a deputy to the Guangdong People's Congress.

In addition to Jiahewanggang, Shenzhen's Fanshen subway station has also become a popular check-in spot in recent years. "Fanshen" means "turn over" in Chinese, originating from the land reform in the 1950s when farmers turned over and became masters of their own lives.

Liu Lizi, director of the urban culture research institute at the Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences, said metro trains have become a highly relied-upon means of transportation for young people in large cities, especially China's megacities. The stations are more than mere transportation facilities. Metro stations have become increasingly representative of a city's cultural image and governance capacity, he said.