No flies on Chinese as Beijing toilet trains for Games
Tue Sep 20,10:47 AM ET
BEIJING (Reuters) - No more than two flies or two pieces of discarded trash or waste are allowed in Beijing's public toilets at any given time.
That is the order authorities in the city's Xicheng District have given 400 new environmental workers charged with enforcing what local officials call "the first public toilet management standard in Beijing's history."
The Chinese capital's toilets are notoriously foul, many containing no running water, flushing mechanisms or toilet paper. But since winning the bid to host the 2008 Olympics, Beijing has been working hard to improve toilet cleanliness.
"This is a move to change the image of Beijing's toilets and make a better impression," a Xicheng sanitation official surnamed Li told Reuters by telephone.
In July, the city vowed to launch "the largest toilet revolution in its history." By September 6, nearly 1,100 public toilets across the city had been upgraded, the Beijing Times reported Tuesday.
Some new public toilets in popular tourist spots are even ranked by a star system, with the cleanest and most comfortable getting a coveted four stars.
JT
Tue Sep 20,10:47 AM ET
BEIJING (Reuters) - No more than two flies or two pieces of discarded trash or waste are allowed in Beijing's public toilets at any given time.
That is the order authorities in the city's Xicheng District have given 400 new environmental workers charged with enforcing what local officials call "the first public toilet management standard in Beijing's history."
The Chinese capital's toilets are notoriously foul, many containing no running water, flushing mechanisms or toilet paper. But since winning the bid to host the 2008 Olympics, Beijing has been working hard to improve toilet cleanliness.
"This is a move to change the image of Beijing's toilets and make a better impression," a Xicheng sanitation official surnamed Li told Reuters by telephone.
In July, the city vowed to launch "the largest toilet revolution in its history." By September 6, nearly 1,100 public toilets across the city had been upgraded, the Beijing Times reported Tuesday.
Some new public toilets in popular tourist spots are even ranked by a star system, with the cleanest and most comfortable getting a coveted four stars.
JT