China’s toilet revolution!
Global Times
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Foreigners in Shanghai discuss the modernization of China’s public lavatories

Shanghai is making giant strides in modernizing its public bathrooms. A number of unprecedented unisex toilets, "third toilets" and "smart toilets" with infrared sensors, are being constructed and installed around the city. Residents and tourists alike now can visit the local loo and expect a comfortable, novel and even fun experience when nature calls. This has helped turn Shanghai, a modern international metropolis, into an even better and friendlier destination.

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Photos: VCG

To glean insight into the condition of public bathrooms in Shanghai from the perspective of the foreigners who use them, the Global Times recently interviewed a number of foreigners from different cultural backgrounds.

Michelle Davies, 57 years old from Australia, showed a positive attitude toward public bathrooms in Shanghai, saying that compared with Japan and Hong Kong, they are quite good. Likewise, Anre Markey, 67, living in Singapore, also thinks that Shanghai bathrooms are cleaner than in Singapore.

When it comes to awkward experiences related with using local bathrooms, Markey recalled that years ago when going into a public lady's room, she found that there was only a trench, with partitions that are open in the front. However, she has had no such experiences after the bathrooms here became cleaner, modernized and more user-friendly.

In contrast, younger foreign visitors do not sound as positive about local toilets. Gonzalo Ramirez, a 26-year-old man from Chile, made critical comments. He added that, in some local toilets, women have to squat rather than sit, which is uncomfortable and inconvenient for foreigners used to sitting. 

A 29-year-old woman from Bangladesh whose Chinese name is Jiang Meilin said that Chinese toilets are sometimes not very clean.

Naya Thomsen from Denmark said Shanghai's public toilets still have some hygiene issues, particularly pointing out the squatting toilets, which are awkward for her. 

Room for improvement

Meanwhile, older expats who have lived longer in Shanghai are proud of the big improvement of the city's public bathrooms, though some said that there is still room for improvement. 

During the implementation of the new "Toilet Revolution" in recent years, Shanghai has made several effective and pioneering steps, such as unisex toilets, providing a new solution for the dynamic demands of the large population.

In order to cater to mothers and infants, children and senior citizens, "the third bathroom" was created as well, with different sitting toilet positions for adults and children, along with multifunctional tables and chairs for children.

Moreover, timely and effective cleaning and maintenance are now guaranteed, with the sanitary conditions of all squat toilets shown on screens through infrared technology so that cleaners no longer need to inspect each toilet up close.

According to chinanews.com, by the end of 2017, over 260 "third bathrooms" have been created in Shanghai, making it much more convenient and comfortable for parents taking children of the opposite sex to bathrooms as well as for adults helping elderly parents of the opposite sex.

Knews reported on July 1 that the sanitation department of Shanghai plans to build 64 new public restrooms and 106 "third bathrooms," and upgrade 253 old ones.

As an international metropolis that embraces visitors of different backgrounds, Shanghai is on its way toward becoming a humanistic city, continuously improving the sanitation and technological levels of public bathrooms and catering to people's individualized needs.