Long journey makes taxis too expensive for locals

Guangzhou's new Baiyun airport boasts state-of-the-art facilities - but travellers are already grumbling about the long journey to get there.

Unlike the old Baiyun airport, which was in the city centre, the new one in the suburban Huadu district is a 50-minute taxi ride from Guangzhou proper.

'In the past, if we wanted to go to the airport, we would take a cab. It would cost about 30 yuan and that's acceptable,' said Guangzhou passenger Liu Dongtan. A taxi ride from Guangzhou's East Railway station to the new airport now costs about 150 yuan - about one day's salary for most locals.

With the new airport subway still under construction, authorities say the best way to get to the new site is to take shuttle buses.

The buses, which depart every 15 minutes, can be found near most of the major hotels in Guangzhou. They also run between the new airport and Shenzhen, Zhuhai , Dongguan and Zhongshan .

But some Guangzhou residents complained the bus stops were few and far between.