China to build, upgrade 21,000 toilets for tourists in 2019

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China plans to build or renovate about 21,000 toilets at tourist facilities next year, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced.

The move is part of the "toilet revolution" in China's tourist industry that began in 2015 with the aim of providing tourists with modern and clean toilets.

It was announced at a conference held in south China's Guangdong Province on Saturday.

The ministry said the country built or upgraded nearly 24,000 restrooms for tourists this year, including about 15,000 in its less-developed central and western areas.

A public toilet in Haikou City, south China's Hainan Province. /VCG Photo

Between 2015 and 2017, China invested 1.64 billion yuan (about 237.8 million U.S. dollars) to install or renovate over 70,000 toilets for tourists, it said.

Advanced technologies have been used in the new toilets to improve hygiene standards, save energy and water, and make them more accessible. For example, earlier this year, a mobile navigation app was launched to help tourists find nearby toilets in scenic areas.

To boost domestic tourism, China aims to install or upgrade 64,000 toilets for tourists from 2018 to 2020, according to a three-year action plan released by the government.

(Top image: Tourists queue up to go to toilets in the West Lake scenic area in Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, October 1, 2014. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): China Daily