MNXANL, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting to Qizhong — Why the Metro Alone Won't Get You There
Metro Line 1 or 5, then the tournament shuttle — budget over an hour, not twenty minutes
Qizhong sits roughly 27-30km southwest of central Shanghai, in Minhang District — far enough out that "just take the metro" isn't the full answer the way it is at most Masters 1000 venues built inside a city core.
The metro gets you close, not there. Take Metro Line 1 to Xinzhuang station, or Metro Line 5 to Zhuanqiao station. Neither one is a walkable distance from Qizhong itself — you need the tournament's own shuttle bus for the final leg. That shuttle departs from Xinzhuang station's South Square, stops at Zhuanqiao, and terminates between Gates 1 and 2 at the venue. It costs ¥2 per journey and, based on the most recently confirmed schedule, runs outbound from around 11am to 7pm Wednesday through Saturday, 11am to 4pm on Sundays, with return services from 4pm through at least 9:30pm and extra runs after the night session finishes. Confirm the exact 2026 timetable on the official site closer to the tournament — shuttle hours shift year to year.
The whole Xinzhuang-to-venue leg takes about 45 minutes, so budget over an hour door to door from most central hotels once you add the initial metro ride.
A Didi (China's dominant ride-hailing app, works with a foreign card and has an English interface) is the other real option, and for a group of two or more it's often comparable in total cost to two metro-plus-shuttle fares. Expect roughly ¥80-150 from central Shanghai depending on traffic and time of day — this is a genuine 45-minute-plus drive, not a quick hop, so factor real Shanghai traffic into your timing regardless of which option you pick.
Why it's special
Every other experience in this pack assumes you already know how you're getting to the venue — this one exists because Qizhong is the single location in the whole trip where "figure it out when you get there" genuinely costs you match time. A wrong assumption about distance here doesn't just mean a longer walk; it can mean missing the start of a session you paid for.
Insider tips
- 1
Don't rely on Metro Line 5 alone thinking it drops you at the venue — Zhuanqiao station is still a shuttle-bus ride from Qizhong's gates, same as Xinzhuang.
- 2
Download Didi and link a card before tournament week, not on the day — app setup with a foreign card can take a few minutes the first time, and you don't want to be doing it curbside.
- 3
Gate payment is by QR scan, not a physical ticket — set up the Metro Daduhui app (or the multi-day Suishenxing pass if you'll be riding the metro a lot) before your first trip; full detail is in the China Visas, Maps, and Payments guide.
Practical info
- Hours
- Tournament shuttle typically runs 11am-7pm outbound (Wed-Sat), 11am-4pm Sun, with returns from 4pm through after the final match — confirm exact 2026 times on the official site.
- Cost
- Shuttle bus: ¥2 per journey. Didi from central Shanghai: approximately ¥80-150 depending on traffic and time of day.
- Access
- No booking needed for the shuttle — just board at Xinzhuang South Square or Zhuanqiao station during tournament hours. Didi is booked in-app, no advance reservation required.
- Getting there
- Metro Line 1 to Xinzhuang or Line 5 to Zhuanqiao, then the tournament shuttle bus (¥2) to Qizhong's Gates 1-2. Total journey from central Shanghai: 60-90 minutes.
- Address
- 5500 Yuanjiang Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, China
What to avoid
Don't book a hotel assuming a 20-30 minute commute to matches based on how central Shanghai's other attractions feel — Qizhong's real door-to-gate time from most downtown hotels is 60-90 minutes each way once you account for the metro-plus-shuttle transfer or Didi traffic, and that adds up fast across an 8-12 day trip.
