China's 'toilet revolution': Beijing upgrades 500 public loos

Beijing authorities have upgraded 500 public toilets as part of a nationwide "toilet revolution", state media reported.

A public toilet in Dongcheng district's North Hepingli Street has just been renovated. It is now clean and odour free.

"A ventilation system has been installed in the toilet," said Feng Lei, a local environment employee.

"Each toilet cubicle has an independent ventilation pipe, which collects bad smells in a central processing system before the odour is released," Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.

A heater has also been installed to keep the toilet warm in winter, and there are more toilets for women.

Beijing authorities have upgraded 500 public toilets this year, the report said.

Authorities plan to install more toilets for people with special requirements such as mothers with young children, differently-abled and elderly.

The "toilet revolution" will extend to bungalows in Dongcheng district's Hutong alleys next year, with systems for heating, deodorisation and water saving to be installed.

Toilets in other districts such as Chaoyang and Mentougou will also be upgraded, the report added.

By the end of October this year, China had installed or upgraded 68,000 toilets at tourist destinations, 19.3 per cent more than the target number.

The country planned to install or upgrade another 64,000 toilets at tourist destinations from 2018 to 2020, according to an action plan released by the China National Tourism Administration.