Line 5 of the Guangzhou Metro runs from Liwan District to Huangpu District. It starts at Jiaokou running 41.7 km (25.91 mi) in a wide "∩" shape and ends at Huangpu New Port. Like lines 4 and 6, it is equipped with linear induction motor technology. Line 5's color is red. Line 5 began operation on 28 December 2009, from Jiaokou to Wenchong. 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 Wenchong to Huangpu New Port.

The Guangzhou Metro is the rapid transit system of the city of Guangzhou in the Guangdong Province of China. It is operated by the state-owned Guangzhou Metro Corporation and was the fourth metro system to be built in mainland China, after those of Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai.