Caobao Road Metro Station

Caobao Road Station opened to the public in May 1993 as part of the initial southern segment of Shanghai Metro Line 1, the city's very first underground rapid transit line. Designed in the early 1990s, the station platform was built noticeably narrower and dimmer than subsequent metro stations, giving it a cramped, subterranean atmosphere. The station quickly became a critical interchange hub in Xuhui District, connecting passenger lines across south-central Shanghai.

However, local historians and metro engineers note that the subterranean station was constructed directly beneath or adjacent to a former municipal mortuary, funeral home, and mass burial grounds that operated during the mid-20th century. During initial tunnel excavation in the late 1980s, construction crews uncovered numerous unrecorded human remains and historic coffins, which were cleared without traditional ceremonial rites.

Since its opening, Caobao Road Station has suffered an abnormally high frequency of technical glitches, signal failures, and sudden train delays compared to other Line 1 stations. Despite modern equipment upgrades and additional security barriers installed along the platform edges, the station's dark reputation as China's premier haunted subway hub has endured for over three decades.

The urban legends surrounding Caobao Road Station are among the most chilling and widely discussed in Chinese transit folklore. The most famous legend tells of the 'Woman in Red'—a pale, spectral female figure dressed in a vibrant red traditional Qipao or silk dress seen standing motionless near the edge of Platform 1 late at night. According to local lore, she is the restless spirit of a woman who committed suicide or died tragically near the station tracks prior to its construction, returning to wander the platform after peak transit hours have ended and station lights dim.

Another terrifying legend involves 'Phantom Pushing.' Passengers standing near the track safety line during crowded rush hours report feeling an unmistakable, remarkably powerful pair of invisible hands shoving them toward the oncoming train tracks. Several real-life near-miss incidents and fall accidents at Caobao Road have been attributed by shaken survivors to an unseen physical force physically dragging or pushing them off the platform edge into mortal danger.

Metro maintenance workers also pass down chilling stories of the 'Ghost Train'—a phantom, unlit metro train that reportedly rolls silently through Caobao Road Station long after midnight service has ended and track electrical power is completely cut. Workers stationed in the side tunnels report seeing pale, ghostly faces staring out from the dark, empty train cars as it glides past without making any mechanical motor noise.

Commuters, security guards, and maintenance crews working along Line 1 have documented numerous unexplained phenomena at Caobao Road Station over the decades. Staff patrolling the station after the final train service consistently report hearing disembodied laughter, soft weeping, and heavy footsteps echoing down empty, lit platform corridors.

Subway train drivers operating early morning test trains frequently report seeing human shadows darting across the tracks inside the dark tunnels near Caobao Road, forcing them to trigger emergency brakes, only to discover completely clear tracks upon immediate physical investigation.

Platform security guards have reported frequent electronic equipment anomalies, including CCTV camera screens flickering with heavy static distortion, unexplained cold spots near the platform ends, and station maintenance equipment turning on autonomously inside locked utility rooms without electrical power.

Furthermore, passengers waiting for late-night trains occasionally report feeling sudden, icy cold gusts of air on their necks when no train is approaching, accompanied by the distinct smell of damp earth and decayed wood.

Caobao Road Station is an underground two-level transit station featuring a central island platform layout flanked by twin tracks serving northbound and southbound trains. The upper concourse level houses ticket gates, fare machines, customer service kiosks, and security turnstiles, while the lower platform level serves Line 1 passenger trains.

Unlike newer, spacious Shanghai Metro stations built in recent decades, Caobao Road's platform features lower concrete ceilings, narrower passenger waiting areas, and classic dark tile pillars that create a slightly claustrophobic subterranean feel. Automated platform screen doors have been installed along the track edges to enhance commuter safety and prevent accidental track falls.

Caobao Road Metro Station is a fully operational transit station on Shanghai Metro Line 1 and Line 12, located in Xuhui District, Shanghai. Passengers can access the station using standard Shanghai Public Transportation Cards or single-ride Metro tickets during regular operating hours (typically 5:30 AM to 11:30 PM daily).

Because it is an active public transportation facility used by thousands of daily commuters, visitors should respect passenger flow, safety guidelines, and station rules. Photography of the platform and concourse architecture is allowed from public areas, but trespassing into restricted tracks or maintenance areas is strictly illegal and enforced by security personnel.

Caobao Road Station earned its spooky reputation due to its construction over former mortuary grounds, narrow mid-century subterranean architecture, and an unusual history of technical glitches. Coupled with vivid accounts of phantom pushers and ghostly platform apparitions, it remains Shanghai's most famous haunted transit location, capturing the intense fascination of urban legend enthusiasts, local commuters, and dark tourists around the world.