From Nov 19 to Dec 19, passengers on Shanghai Metro Line 2 are being treated to a unique cultural journey as eight classic poems from China and the United Kingdom grace the train carriages.

This initiative, titled "Poetry on the Metro", is part of the second season of the Our Water cultural dialogue series between Shanghai and London.

Marking the eighth installment of the program that began in 2006, the monthlong event transforms the daily commute into an immersive poetic experience.

The selection features four Chinese poems, including excerpts from the ancient Book of Songs such as Guan Ju, alongside four British classics like Lord Byron's She Walks in Beauty.

These poems appear as vibrant posters on carriage walls, doors and handholds, each printed with a QR code that opens audio recitations. The recordings are also available in a dedicated "Poetry on the Metro" section on the app of the Shanghai internet radio station Ajmide.

A corresponding display will be launched on the London Underground next year.

A highlight of this year's Shanghai program is a collaboration between British and Chinese voices for the poem recordings. Participants include British consul-general in Shanghai Matt Burney, deputy consul-general Barbara Amono-Oceng, consul for culture and education Cat Sinclair-Jones, and British Embassy cultural counsellor Dom Hastings. They are joined by renowned performers from the Shanghai Film Dubbing Studio: Qiao Zhen, Liu Feng, and Zhou Shuai.

To align with the theme of the Our Water series, the program also includes poems depicting Shanghai's Bund and London's River Thames.

The "Poetry on the Metro" program began in 2006 with a pioneering exchange between the Shanghai and London metros, in which four poems from each country were displayed simultaneously in the party city's metro system.

About the Poetry on the Metro program

Since its launch in 2006, Shanghai Metro's "Poetry on the Metro" initiative has presented eight themed editions:

1. 2006: First China–UK Poetry Exchange

Shanghai and London achieved the first cross-border poetry showcase in metro systems. Eight classic poems — four Chinese (such as Li Bai's Spring Night Rain) and four English (such as William Wordsworth's Daffodils) — were displayed simultaneously as posters inside carriages in both cities, opening a new chapter in cultural exchange through public transit.

2. 2010: When Poetry Meets the Metro

Twenty Chinese and foreign poems — including Tang and Song classics as well as works by William Shakespeare — were displayed on hand straps and light boxes in Shanghai Metro Lines 1 and 2.

3. 2015: Chinese and Foreign Poetry on the Metro

Consulates-general in Shanghai from countries including Argentina and France participated in the poem selection, enriching the linguistic and cultural diversity. For the first time, the program achieved full network coverage across trains, walls, and screens, presenting nearly 200 poems simultaneously through carriages, hand straps, station culture walls, and metro TV screens.

4. 2016:

(1) China–Ireland Poetry Dialogue

In partnership with Irish Rail, English translations of 20 classic Chinese poems from Tang and Song dynasties were displayed on Dublin's DART line, while poems by W. B. Yeats were featured in six Shanghai stations. Dublin stations used LED screens to broadcast animated versions of the poems, while Shanghai stations featured light boxes combining traditional calligraphy with modern design.

(2) Encountering Shakespeare on Shanghai Metro

From Aug 31 to the end of 2016, a “Shakespeare Lives” culturally themed train ran on Shanghai Metro Line 2. Co-organized by the British Council, Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Shanghai Metro and Shanghai Translators Association, the event was part of the global “Shakespeare Lives” campaign marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. Posters on all hand straps and doors presented 48 celebrated quotations from 19 of his works, from the well-known tragedy Hamlet to Henry V.

5. 2017: "Chinese and Foreign Poetry on the Metro" & "Encountering Poetry on the Metro"

Shanghai Metro again collaborated with the British Council and the Shanghai Municipal People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, with support from the Shanghai Translators Association. In addition to the Shanghai Metro Line 2 cultural train, every metro line featured one train displaying 40 Chinese and English poems on hand straps.

With a focus on youth, the selection ranged from Shakespeare and Su Shi to contemporary poets. Five stations — Tiantong Road, West Nanjing Road, Xintiandi, Shanghai Swimming Center, and Jinshajiang Station — also showcased poetry walls.

6. 2019: "Listen, There Is Poetry" Themed Train

In collaboration with Shanghai Media Group, well-known hosts including Yin Hairong, Wang Xing, Zang Xi, and Xu Weijie recorded bilingual readings of 24 selected Chinese and foreign poems, such as You Are the April of This World and When You Are Old. Passengers could scan QR codes to listen, generating over one million plays.

7. 2020: "Poetic Blooms" Qixi Festival Special Edition

A "flower train" decorated with roses, tulips, and other blooms was launched for the Qixi Festival. Hand straps featured poetry themed around flowers, and an online series of readings by key opinion leaders was released simultaneously.

Source: WeChat account of Shanghai Shentong Metro Group ("sh_metro")