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A bathroom problem of "Olympic" proportions

by Jeremy Kressmann (RSS feed) on Mar 20th 2008 at 8:00AM

When I first saw the venue designs for this summer's Olympic games in Beijing, I was quite impressed. The Chinese have pulled out all the stops to create several cutting-edge stadiums for the games, including the Beijing National Stadium designed by award-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron and the Beijing National Aquatics Center, which looks like a huge floating cube of water.

However, as the BBC reports, China may have spent a little too much money on those architecture fees. Prompted by frequent visitor complaints at test events, the Chinese are scrambling to replace traditional squat toilets at the venues with western-style "loos" for an expected 500,000 visitors. According to the BBC, who quotes Yao Hui, Deputy Head of Venue Management, "Most of the Chinese people are used to the squat toilet, but nowadays more and more people demand sit-down toilets."

Gee, Yao, do you think? I have no problem adapting to a traditional squat toilet if I'm coming to visit China on my own, but perhaps when you have visitors coming from as many as 200 different nationalities you might want to standardize? I guess if you're headed to this summer's games in Beijing, make sure you bring your own toilet paper and maybe take a look at this for advice. Also take a look at this for more "traditional" background info on Beijing before your visit.

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Filed under: Festivals and Events, Asia, China, News, Travel Health

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Reader Comments (Page 3 of 3)

John Mar 23rd 2008 2:33AM

I would not go to China in the first place. Also I try to avoid there products when ever I can (no Walmart for me thank you).
Also these great people invaded Tibet as well and since Tibet has no oil we did not "Free them" like the nice people in "Iraq".
Also China owns us with those great loans Bush took out for his war!
So who cares about tolites?

solomeeeo Mar 23rd 2008 2:47AM

I say flush anything Chinese down the toilet!

Sandra Mar 23rd 2008 2:52AM

Now i see , if an Chinese woman goes to the bathroom here in the U.S.A, and lets say you are the next woman to use that same toilet, the dam thing has piss all over it, and that is because they squat to pee and go #2, which if you are not carefull, you end up sitting on some one's dirty piss, and they dont' even bother to clean it or flush for that matter, so if a bathroom stall is busy and a Chinese woman or girl come out of it I wont' go in cause I know it has piss all over it.... GROSS, and they when they was their hands they only wash two fingers with water, no soap and no complete hand wash only to fingers are given a quick rinse..how is that for cleanliness? Oh, yes and then they touch the same door you did to go out the door .. nasty , nasty , nasty..

Rollando Mar 23rd 2008 4:22AM

Following traditions is fine for the most part. However, some of it should be updated. If one is out in the countryside in the wild, "squatting" is the better way to go. Otherwise, the "western toilets" is a better solution for public restrooms as well as in our homes. Many people are over weight and find it difficult to balance and squat let alone to stand up after the passing was done. The squats are placed into the floor. Requires more construction work. Whereas toilets are not. It be a lot cheaper to have toilets. All is required is a drain pipe coming up through the floor with a toilet sitting over it.

carrollredd1 Mar 23rd 2008 6:46AM

I HAD A CELLMATE WAY BACK WHEN AND HE WOULD SQUAT ON THE COMMODE ANY TIME HE USED THE TOILET, HE WAS FROMVEITNAM. TOOK A WHILE TO TEACH HIM HOW WE DONE IT.

KATHY Mar 23rd 2008 9:12AM

TO TRAVEL ALL THAT WAY TO WATCH GAMES YOU CAN BARELY, IF AT ALL, SEE, TO LIVE IN FILTH AND CATCH GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT DISEASES, IS NOT MY IDEA OF A GOOD TIME. AND IF THEY HAVE NO RUNNING WATER, I.E., BATHE IN BARRELS FROM RAINWATER, ETC., HOW ARE THEY GOING TO PLUMB WESTERN TOILETS? I CAN SEE WHERE MEN MAY NOT HAVE AS MUCH OF A PROBLEM AS WOMEN URINATING, BUT THE OTHER???????? I WOULDN'T GO TO CHINA IF THE TRIP WAS FREE!!!
PLUS, WHO CAN SQUAT WITH MEDICAL PROBLEMS?
BOYCOTT CHINA.