In today’s era of smart technology, even taking the train has become a matter of “showing your face.” Dongguan’s four major railway stations are rolling out facial recognition gates—show your face clearly and you’re in; keep it partially hidden, and you’re barred.
At best, “scanning your face” to pass through the gate takes just two seconds. This is vastly faster—and more accurate—than the old days of queuing while a ticket inspector manually checked each person’s face.
Currently, Changping and Zhangmutou railway stations have pioneered the use of facial recognition for station entry. Dongguan Railway Station has initially installed the new gates at the exit, while Dongguan East Railway Station is expected to follow suit in the future.
The Experience: Passing through the gate via facial scan in 2 seconds
In the entrance hall of Changping Railway Station, the old manual ticket and ID check lanes are gone, replaced by a bank of four smart facial recognition gates, with a staff member standing by. You must first pass through a security checkpoint before you can proceed to the facial scan.
Unlike the gates found in subway or intercity rail stations, these feature an electronic screen equipped with a camera. When idle, the screen displays usage instructions; during verification, it shows the live camera feed.
How does it work? There is a yellow square marked on the floor in front of the gate; stand on it, place your ID card against the designated reader area, and then look at the camera on the screen—say “cheese”! Of course, you don’t actually have to smile; the system just needs a clear view of your facial features. A moment later, the live feed turns off, a blue message appears on the screen saying “Please retrieve your ID and proceed,” the gate opens, and you can pass through. The entire process takes less than two seconds.
Some style-conscious women might wonder, “Does this mean I have to take off my makeup just to enter the station?” Don’t worry—colored contact lenses and false eyelashes are fine (provided the look isn’t too exaggerated), though you will need to remove sunglasses and face masks.
How many types of ID documents can the smart facial recognition gates work with? Statistics show that the system can verify identity using at least four different types of documents. Smart facial recognition turnstiles have been put into operation at Changping Station. Functionally, they integrate with second-generation ID cards, Home Return Permits (primarily used by travelers from Hong Kong), passports, and financial IC cards linked to ID cards, verifying identity through facial recognition.
In the past, entering the waiting hall required staff to stamp your ticket and check your ID card—scanning it to ensure authenticity and then glancing up to confirm you were the actual holder (preventing unauthorized entry using someone else’s ID). Now, these tasks are handled entirely by the automated pedestrian turnstiles.
Dongguan East Station is expected to follow suit in the future.
In addition to Changping Railway Station, Zhangmutou Railway Station and Dongguan Railway Station have also installed these smart facial recognition turnstiles. Zhangmutou Station has turnstiles at both the entrance and exit, while Dongguan Station has them at the exit.
Staff at Zhangmutou Station noted that the turnstiles were recently installed and the facial recognition success rate is not 100%—”recognition may fail for some women whose appearance has changed significantly.” However, they can use the manual entry lane. For exiting, passengers simply need to place the ticket face-down on the sensor area to pass through; facial scanning is not required.
The Shilong and Chashan exits at Dongguan Station have already activated the new facial recognition turnstiles. It is inevitable that Dongguan East Station will eventually adopt smart facial recognition turnstiles, making “facial recognition entry” a likely future reality.
Shenzhen Chuangxintong Technology Development Co., Ltd. specializes in pedestrian access control management, providing users with professional and personalized access control systems—including solutions for all-in-one cards, facial recognition, QR code scanning, and fingerprint recognition. As a National High-Tech Enterprise, the company integrates R&D, production, sales, and service. Its core products include tripod turnstiles, swing gates, flap barriers, full-height turnstiles, speed gates, sliding gates, and barrier arms.