Beijing turns its attention to toilets

Around 500,000 visitors and 10,500 athletes are preparing to flock to the city for the Olympics, which take place from August 8-24. The Chinese government has spent at least $40 billion on improving Beijing’s infrastructure in time for the huge influx of people.

But the washrooms were something of an afterthought and the realisation that western-style loos would be required alongside traditional Asian “squat” toilets only struck home in March.

So work began this spring on tearing out the toilets of the three main Olympic stadiums and replacing them with sit-down lavatories.

Traditional “squat toilets” are commonplace throughout China but not, however, the worse case scenario for western visitors to that country.

In parts of China it is not unusual to find public toilets consisting of long cement blocks with a trench down the centre. Here people relieve themselves by squatting over holes in full view of one another. In many cases a tub of water and a scoop are supplied in place of toilet paper. 

But back in Beijing, the accent is very much on the high tech as the country prepares its new Bird's Nest Stadium for the Olympics opening ceremony. Also known as the National Stadium, this magnificent construction took 52 months to build at a cost of £254 million and, as its name suggests, has been constructed to ressemble a giant bird's nest.