Line 5 of the Guangzhou Metro runs from Liwan District to Huangpu District. It starts at running 41.7 km in a wide "∩" shape and ends at. Like lines 4 and 6, it is equipped with linear induction motor technology. Line 5's color is <span style="color:#;">red. Line 5 began operation on 28 December 2009, from to. On December 31, 2009, Line 5 set a record of 567,000 daily passengers, surpassing the ten year ridership projections in the span of just 4 days after its opening. As of May 2017, Line 5 carries an average of 1.05 million passengers per day and is extremely congested throughout the day, operating at over 100% capacity during rush hours. The opening of Phase I of Line 13 further increased traffic demand on the west end of Line 5 and pushing congestion to over 130% capacity. Prompting the Guangzhou Metro to limit passenger traffic at a number of subway stations on Line 5. In 2018, the busiest section of Line 5 reaches over 50,000 pphpd of traffic volume during peak periods. By 2019, the line was used by 1.18 million passengers each day. In the future Line 13 Phase II will provide relief for Line 5. On 28 December 2023, the line was extended to the east from to.

Opening timeline

Stations

Rolling stock

Line 5 uses six car linear motor trains. In 2020, Guangzhou Metro started bidding for 14 additional trains to supplement the fleet in preparation for the east extension.