Guangzhou Metro Cinches up Security

Guangzhou metro riders queue at the Kecun security check. (Photos by kou.)
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After the mid-July bus bombing in Kunming, Yunnan, the Guangzhou Metro Corporation and the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau established package and large baggage scanning (a la airports around the world) at four of the five busiest subway stations in Guangzhou--the East Station, the Railway Station, Kecun, and Gongyuanqian. (Why not Tiyuxilu--the Teem Plaza station?)

According to this Life of Guangzhou article, the purpose was to "ensure public safety during the Beijing Olympics," but those stations are still operational and random checks at other stations are being conducted by the "100 member professional secure team [sic]." With the 2010 Asian Games in the offing, I suppose it's only a matter of time before we're undoing our belts and removing our shoes.