There’s no turning back.
As the country asserts the role of tourism to be a vital economic vehicle, it continues to upgrade public toilets at tourist destinations, with President Xi Jinping supporting the project, according to Financial Times.
The China National Tourism Administration introduced a three-year “toilet revolution” campaign in 2015.
This year, 17,000 toilets will be built and 8,000 will be renovated and expanded nationwide, according to the administration’s website.
CNTA said that more than 12.5 billion yuan may likely be spent by the government to fund all that, reported Caixin Online.
Across the country, 22,009 toilets were already built last year, according to a February post by the CNTA.
That sounds good news because it exceeded the original goal.
In Sept. 2015, CNTA said on its website that it would “build 13,000 new toilets and renovate another 9,000.”
The campaign aims to build “a total of 33,000 restrooms and renovating 24,000 by 2017.”
Beijing, Chongqing and Shanghai have the “best toilets,” according to a survey conducted by the China Tourism Academy in Sept. 2015, reported CNTA.
CNTA said that after its meeting in Beijing with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Nov. 2015, the foundation will fund the researches to be conducted for the campaign.
In Feb. 2003, the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine released the national standards relating to the classification and quality of public toilets in and near tourist sites, according to Nanfang.gov.
The standard set gives a public toilet a classification of one to five stars.
For a five-star public toilet, it should be made of high-grade, environment-friendly and “weatherproof, corrosion-resistant” construction materials.
It should have a floor area of 150 square meters; walls that are 3.7-meter-tall and made of porcelain tiles, granite or marble; non-slip floor tiles and a minimum of two washbasins with a faucet providing hot and cold water.
In addition, there should be tissue paper of good quality available for free, a liquid soap dispenser, a waste basket with lid and an induction hand dryer.
And, take note, flower beds or potted plants should adorn the surrounding area outside of the toilet.
For local and foreign tourists alike, such restrooms may deserve some selfie moments.