Submitted by Tony, who says:

I love this official transit map on Guangzhou metro, it’s simple and clean and has just enough detail to not confuse you. Only thing I hate is the interchange station symbol it looks big and bulky when compared to the rest of the map. Your thoughts?

Transit Maps says:

Yes, this is certainly a fine example of a clean, simple diagrammatic transit map. There’s nothing else at all to draw your attention away from the routes, which is quite possibly a good thing with such a dense network as this. 

While I do prefer rapid transit maps that have at least some indication of geography – even if it’s as simple as the Tube Map’s inclusion of the Thames to divide London into north and south – I think this particular map shows that you don’t always have to give “above ground” cues to be successful. Those short two- and three-character Chinese names certainly help with the map’s spacious feel – although it does mean that the English-language subtitles underneath each station label are set in comparatively small type.

Unlike Tony, I don’t mind the interchange icons. The double-headed circular arrows visually convey the idea of transferring between lines quite nicely, although I do doubt the device would work if a station ever became an interchange between three or more different lines.

My one minor quibble is that I think the inset that shows the Automated People Mover (APM) in more detail to the top right of the map could be boxed in to make it more obvious that it is actually an inset, not a strange unconnected piece of Metro off in the far distant suburbs!

Our rating: Simple and uncomplicated; a fine example of the Chinese style of Metro map. Three stars.

Source: Official Guangzhou Metro website