Travel TipsToilets
Most toilets in China feature squat-style ones, but a majority of good hotels offers 'sit-down' toilets. In the train stations, and airports, there are also western-style ones, but they are mostly dedicated for the disabled. Whatever the style it is, a clapboard is erected between the two.
The Chinese are used to use the squat-style toilets as they think it is more hygienic than western-style ones. They hold that they may catch a disease if their naked flesh gets contact with others using the toilets ahead. Squat-style toilets require a great deal of effort and leg muscle to use, so it may not be a challenge for foreigners.
In the street, the toilets can be found with a sign reading ' 公厕' , WC or Toilet. Some toilet may not have English version of the Gent's (男厕) and Ladies' (女厕). Here comes a fancy rule, mans are masculine and woman are effeminate, so do the Chinese characters for them. If you keep this in mind, may you never enter a wrong washroom.
But toilets of this kind usually charges CNY 0.3 (3 角), or CNY 0.5 (5 角) a time. If you want the toilet paper, an additional CNY 0.5 will be charged. In the shopping malls, department stores, restaurants, airports railway and subway stations, the toilets are free to use. A good new comes that the toilets in Beijing are mostly free to the public.
It is quite easy to make out whether a toilet is free or not. As is usually the case, if a toilet is not free, an old lady sits outside the toilet with a desk or a mini box of changes before them. However, it may happen to be a man, though it seldom happens. Surely, if you are stopped from entering the toilet, it means you should pay first.
