That time I almost missed my flight because I couldn't find the right metro exit

Kurokun

Beijing West Railway Station. 40 minutes until my train to the airport. Should be plenty of time.

I got off the metro. Looked for "Exit B." Walked up the stairs. Found myself in a parking garage.

Went back down. Tried Exit C. Shopping mall.

Back down. Exit D. A completely different street.

The station entrance was apparently at Exit A3 but that required going through a tunnel under the road which I didn't see because the sign was in Chinese and I was panicking.

Ended up asking three different people. The third one walked me there personally. Got to the platform with 8 minutes to spare.

Lessons:
• Chinese mega-stations have exits labeled A1, A2, A3, B1, B2... it's not just A/B/C/D
• When in doubt, ask station staff (穿制服的工作人员)
• Add 15 minutes of "getting lost buffer" to any train departure
• Screenshot the station layout from Baidu Maps before you go
• The "main exit" (主出口) is usually the one you want

Also: Beijing West is particularly evil. Shanghai Hongqiao is better designed. Fight me.

Anyone else gotten hopelessly lost in a Chinese train station?