Explore Beijing / Beijing Subway Line 9: The Line to the Railway Stations and South-West Beijing
Beijing Subway Line 9: The Line to the Railway Stations and South-West Beijing
Line 9 is the line that gets you to Beijing West Railway Station, the Military Museum and the National Library — and it starts at KOULING Ruiyue.
6 min read · KOULING's Beijing Travel Guide
Line 9 runs from Guogongzhuang in the south-west up to the National Library, and it is the most useful line in Beijing that guidebooks tend to ignore. It puts you directly at Beijing West Railway Station for high-speed trains, at the Military Museum and at the National Library, and from its southern terminus you can hop onto the Fangshan Line for World Park or change to Line 14 for the Garden Expo Park. This guide rides it south to north.
Why Line 9 matters
Line 9 is not a sightseeing line in the way Line 8 is — it is a logistics line. It connects the south-western residential districts to the rail network and to the rest of the metro, it is far less crowded than Lines 1, 2 and 6, and if you are catching a high-speed train to Xian, Chengdu or Shanghai, it is the line you want. Staying at its southern terminus means a seat on the morning train and a direct ride to the station.
Beijing West Railway Station
One of Beijing's three main long-distance rail hubs, and the departure point for most high-speed services to the west and south-west. It is vast, so arrive early: allow 45–60 minutes from entering the station to finding your platform, especially if you need to collect tickets at a counter. Line 9 drops you straight into the station complex.
Metro
Beijing West Railway Station (Line 9, direct from Guogongzhuang)
Opening hours
Open around the clock for travellers; ticket halls roughly 06:00–23:00
Tickets
Free to enter; train tickets sold separately
How long
Allow 45–60 minutes for boarding
Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution
A huge Soviet-style building on the western stretch of Line 9 holding aircraft, tanks, missiles and small arms across several halls, alongside the history of the PLA. It is free but requires an advance online reservation, and it is closed on Mondays. Even if military history is not your subject, the main hall is an impressive space.
Metro
Military Museum Station (Line 1 / 9)
Opening hours
About 09:00–17:00, closed Mondays (verify on the official channel)
Tickets
Free, advance online reservation required
How long
1.5–2 hours
National Library of China
The National Library is Asia's largest library and the northern terminus of Line 9. The modern reading rooms sit alongside the older brick buildings, and the grounds are worth a walk. Entry to the building requires a reader's card for the reading rooms, but the public areas and exhibitions are accessible. Zizhuyuan Park, with its bamboo gardens and lake, is nearby.
Metro
National Library Station (Line 4 / 9)
Opening hours
About 09:00–17:00, with some reading rooms open later — verify before going
Tickets
Free to enter; a reader's card is needed for the reading rooms
How long
1 hour
Beijing World Park
From Guogongzhuang, change onto the Fangshan Line for one stop to Dabaotai — that is World Park, with more than 100 miniature landmarks from around the world. It is the single best family half-day within reach of Line 9. See our World Park guide for the full route.
Metro
Guogongzhuang → Fangshan Line → Dabaotai (1 stop), Exit A/B
Opening hours
About 08:00–17:00 in peak season, 08:00–16:30 in low season — verify
Tickets
Listed at CNY 100, with free-admission promotions at times — check the current policy
How long
4–6 hours
Beijing Garden Expo Park
Change from Line 9 to Line 14 at Qilizhuang and ride to Yuanboyuan Station for the Garden Expo Park — a huge site of themed gardens from across China and abroad. It hosts one of Beijing's biggest lantern festivals around Chinese New Year. See our Garden Expo guide for access details.
Varies by season and event — verify before travelling
Tickets
General admission has been free or low-cost at different times; special events are ticketed
How long
3–5 hours
Getting the Transfers Right: Where Line 9 Actually Connects
Line 9 is short, but its interchange points are easy to get wrong. At Guogongzhuang you cross to the Fangshan Line, which continues into Fangshan district and links, via a change at Dongguantounan, toward Daxing. At Qilizhuang you meet Line 10, Beijing's loop line — usually the fastest way to reach the Third Embassy District or the airport express via Sanyuanqiao. At Liuliqiao you can change to Line 10 in the opposite direction or pick up long-distance buses at the adjacent Liuliqiao bus terminal. At the Military Museum you connect to Line 1, which runs straight through Tiananmen East/West and Wangfujing. At Baishiqiao South, Line 6 is a short underground walk away, though the passage is long — allow ten minutes. At National Library, transfer to Line 4 for Beijing Zoo, Peking University and the Old Summer Palace, or Line 16 toward the north-west. Note that a few interchange passages shut overnight with the last trains, so if you are catching an early departure from Beijing West, check the first-train times — roughly 5 a.m. on most sections — rather than arriving very early.
Fares, Tickets and Practicalities
Fare basics — Beijing Subway is distance-based: a full Line 9 ride (Guogongzhuang to National Library) sits in the 4–5 RMB band with a Yikatong transport card or a mobile QR code. Single-journey tickets from machines take cash in small notes; QR entry via Alipay or WeChat mini-programmes is faster at peak times.
Beat the Beijing West crush — The subway concourse at Beijing West Railway Station funnels straight into the rail-hall security queues. Arrive at least 90 minutes before a long-distance train, more on public-holiday weekends (Chunyun in late January/February is extreme — avoid it if you can).
Security at every entrance — All bags go through X-ray at every station, including at transfers into the national rail halls. Liquids over 100 ml generally cannot pass rail-station security even if the subway let them in — finish or bin them before going upstairs to the platforms.
Accessibility — Every Line 9 station has lifts to street and platform level; station staff will call ahead to have a boarding ramp ready at Beijing West if you ask at the customer centre. Allow extra time — lift routes can be roundabout.
What to skip — Do not ride Line 9 purely for views — it is mostly underground and residential. Its value is as a connector to Beijing West, the Military Museum and the National Library; use it as a spoke, not a destination.
Riding tips
Change at Qilizhuang for Line 14 — This is the interchange that opens up the Garden Expo Park and the western part of the network.
Change at Guogongzhuang for the Fangshan Line — One stop to World Park; the Fangshan Line is also the route towards Fangshan district.
Allow extra time at West Station — Security and the sheer size of the station make a 45-minute buffer realistic.
Reservation-only sights — The Military Museum is free but needs advance online booking; the same applies to several other Beijing museums.
Fares and payment — Use Alipay or WeChat ride codes, or a Yikatong transport card; fares run roughly CNY 3–10 by distance.
