More Shanghai subways to get facelift this year

This car has amateur photos of metro trains in 15 countries around the world.

In Shanghai, some metro passengers taking line 10 are finding themselves riding an unusual train - one that's decorated very differently from the others. It's decked out with photos of metro stations from all over the world.

This car has amateur photos of metro trains in 15 countries around the world. Metro officials selected them for this special train, and passengers seem to like the idea.

"I think line 10 is actually a cultural line, since it goes by Shanghai Library and Jiaotong University. The atmosphere is really good," a passenger called Gu Yan said.

This is the 7th culture-themed metro train in Shanghai. Officials say they want to have 14 trains with different themes by the end of this year.

Moreover, the cultural elements aren't just on the trains - they're also in some of the metro stations. At line 12's International Cruise Terminal Station, riders can not only look up at the ceiling and see constellations in the night sky, they can also look at some 3D images of historical relics that used to be only in museums. The digital museum project jointly launched by metro operators and a museum in Hangzhou is also getting passenger praise.

"Normally I'm very busy at work and have little time to visit museums. If we have a chance to see some relics like this on our way to work, it's very meaningful, and seeing beautiful things can make me feel happy," passenger Zhang Ningbo said.

"I hope to see more old photos and sculptures about Shanghai history or Shanghai's development in metro trains or stations. They can also display some photos taken by Shanghai residents," passenger Gong Weiwei said.

Metro operators say that Gong's idea will be incorporated into the design of future metro stations, and are planning unique designs for 100 of them.

"We've already put public cultural elements into station constructions in lines that started operation at the end of last year - for example, Line 11's Longhua Station and Line 10's Jiaotong University Station. We will also add more cultural elements on the new metro lines," Feng Hao from SH Shentong Metro Group said.

And it's not just static displays. Since last year, metro riders have been able to hear live music at People's Square Station every week. So far, there have been more than 130 concerts, and metro operators say they're thinking of inviting some grass-roots musicians to play in the future.