Pazhou station (Guangzhou Metro)

The station is a key characteristic station of intangible cultural heritage on Line 11, featuring the theme of "Cantonese Dance Shengping". There are shop windows in the concourse which showcase cultural artworks such as Cantonese carving, Canton porcelain, and Guangdong lion dancing. ==Station layout==

Entrances/exits There are currently 4 points of entry/exit for passengers to enter and exit the Line 8 station, 2 lettered exits in the north and south concourses, respectively, and a dedicated exit for Poly World Trade Center between the two exits in the south concourse. The station can reach Areas B and C of the Canton Fair Complex, and this remark was specially added to the new version of the line network map in December 2024. In order to cooperate with the installation of off-site security checks, Exit A of this station was temporarily closed on 5 October 2020 and reopened at the end of December 2020 after renovation, with an off-site security check room added. The Line 11 station has two exits, Exits E and F, each with two special elevators; one from the concourse to the sunken square and one from the sunken square to surface level. Line 8 north concourse • A: Xingang East Road: Pazhou Pagoda, Canton Fair Complex Area B, Surface corridor to Exit F • B: Xingang East Road: Canton Fair Complex Area A Line 8 south concourse • C: Xingang East Road: Canton Fair Complex Area C • D: Xingang East Road Line 11 concourse • E: Xingang East Road: Canton Fair Complex Area B, , Canton Fair Complex East station • F: Xingang East Road: Pazhou Pagoda, Canton Fair Complex Area B, Surface corridor to Exit A Exits A and C are accessible via stairlifts, and Exit E is accessible via elevator. Pazhou Station Exit A 20250102.jpg|Entrance A Exit B, Pazhou Station, Guangzhou Metro 20230701.jpg|Entrance B Exit C, Pazhou Station, Guangzhou Metro 20230701.jpg|Entrance C Exit D, Pazhou Station, Guangzhou Metro 20230701.jpg|Entrance D Pazhou Station Exit E 20250102.jpg|Entrance E Pazhou Station Exit F 20250102.jpg|Entrance F ==Transfer style==

In the original design, Line 11 was planned to connect Line 8 to the paid and non-paid areas of both stations through an underground interchange. After the introduction of the Line 28 (Fosuiguan Intercity) plan, the original transfer channel location was occupied by the Line 28 station site, so the transfer between Line 11 and Line 8 was also changed to be carried out through the Line 28 concourse. However, because the construction of Line 28 has not yet been approved, if the transfer passageway is implemented first, it will still need to be enclosed and renovated during future Line 28 construction. Therefore, the metro decided to implement virtual transfers at this station, making it the first virtual transfer station on the Guangzhou metro network. During the construction of Line 11, a 220-meter-long ground corridor was set up between the Line 8 station and the planned Line 28, which connects Exit A of Line 8 and Exit F of Line 11, and it takes about 6 minutes to walk its entirety. After exiting the station through the blue faregate dedicated to transfer, passengers can enter another line's station within 30 minutes through the same gate, which counts as a transfer at the same station, and the fare calculation will not be affected. Holders of single-journey tickets and other types of tickets can also use virtual transfers, and one-way tickets will not be collected when exiting the dedicated faregates. However, security checks are still required when re-entering the station. Transfer Faregate of L11, Pazhou Station, Guangzhou Metro 20241228.jpg|Line 11 blue transfer faregates Pazhou Station Transfer corridor 20250102.jpg|Virtual transfer corridor between Lines 8 & 11 at ground level Transfer Gate, Pazhou Railway Station, PRDIR 20250929.jpg|Transfer gates between the Intercity and Line 11 concourses ==Usage==

The station is one of the transportation facilities of the Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center (Canton Fair Complex), when the Convention and Exhibition Center holds the Canton Fair or other activities, many merchants and visitors will use the station to get there, so the station will have its flow of people doubled, or even overflow. In case of special circumstances or a surge in passenger flow, the station will implement passenger flow control and temporary closure measures to manage passenger flow. For example, on 1 October 2009, Guangzhou held a fireworks show to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China on the Pearl River near the Convention and Exhibition Center. ==Gallery==

Pazhou Station Line 8 South Concourse 20250102.jpg|Line 8 south concourse Pazhou Station Line 8 North Concourse 20250102.jpg|Line 8 north concourse FREE connecting passage for Pazhou Station.jpg|Line 8 unpaid connecting passage Pazhou Station Line 8 Paid Area Contact Channel 20250102.jpg|Line 8 paid connecting passage Pazhou Station Line 8 Platform 2 20250102.jpg|Line 8 platform 2 Pazhou Station Line 8 Platform 2 Panorama 20250102.jpg|Line 8 platform 2 panorama Pazhou Station Line 11 Concourse 20250102-B.jpg|Line 11 concourse Concourse of L11, Pazhou Station, Guangzhou Metro 20241228-C.jpg|Decorations at Line 11 concourse, with the transfer passageway to the then under construction intercity railway sealed up behind Platform 4, Pazhou Station, Guangzhou Metro 20241228.jpg|Line 11 platform 4 Pazhou Station Line 11 Platform 3 Panorama 20250102.jpg|Line 11 platform 3 panorama ==History==

Planning and construction This station first appeared in 1997 in the "Guangzhou City Urban Expressway, Traffic Line Planning Research (Final Report)", and was one of the intermediate stations of Line 5 at that time. Later, the station was decided to be built as part of the first phase of Line 2. In the 2008 planning plan, Line 8 became a new major ring line, and the section from this station to will be dismantled and extended into another line, providing an interchange at this station. In the 2010 plan, the final ring line became the current Line 11 (Great Ring Line), while Line 8 resumed its current planned direction, and Line 11 and Line 8 were intersected at the station. It was not until 2012 that Line 11 was included in the 12th Five-Year Plan for Rail Transportation in Guangzhou and was approved for construction. The Pazhou Station Project of Line 11 built an intercity railway station on the east side of the station. The two stations were constructed simultaneously, and the main structure was topped out in April 2023. Operation On 28 June 2003, the station was officially put into use and was the eastern terminus of the opened section of Line 2 (between Pazhou Station and Station). On 26 December 2005, Station was completed and put into operation, and the original Line 2 was extended from Pazhou Station to Wanshengwei Station as its eastern terminus, with Pazhou Station changing from a terminal station to an intermediate station. From 22 to 24 September 2010, the station was suspended along with the old Line 2 for line dismantling. In the early morning of September 25, the station resumed service and was reassigned to the new Line 8. On 28 December 2024, Line 11 began operations, and the station became an interchange station. ==Future development==

The planned Line 28 (Fosuiguan Intercity) will have its station between the current Line 8 and Line 11 stations. The platforms of Line 11 and intercity Pazhou railway station have reserved transfer nodes to the Line 28 platform, and the concourse of the aforementioned line's station body and the connecting passageway on the second basement floor of Line 8 are also planned to be connected, which means all lines will be able to transfer within the station instead of the current virtual transfer. ==References==