One of the biggest shocks when it comes to traveling in China is the wild state of its squat toilets. Not only do you have to get used to doing your work in the squat, but you also have to remember no to throw away the toilet paper.
I first discovered the wonders of the dreaded Squat Toilet in my youth living in Malaysia, and while it wasn’t the best experience, it was an experience to learn from.
* Always carry toilet paper, sanitary napkins or tissue paper (some public restrooms sell packs of tissues at the door)
* Always have 20sen ready so you can pay and access the stinky public restrooms
* Bring a friend, Malaysian baths are known for bad things to happen to helpless women alone
* If you wear pants or jeans, it is necessary to roll them up before entering
* Expect to be greeted with wet and dirty floors
* If you have a seated toilet, be aware that many Malaysians will still squat on those seats
* Be careful with your neighbors. The person next door may decide that the bucket needed a quick rinse … or at least, that’s what I hope the water is …
* High heels / stilettos are not recommended unless you are experienced.
Before China, I had always believed that I had already experienced the worst that I could experience (as far as squat toilets), there could be no way in this life that people could live in a country with public toilets worse than Malaysia. I was, of course, completely naive and obviously wasn’t using my head.
The worst public toilet I have come across was in rural China. The good thing is that the toilets are not difficult to locate, you just have to follow your nose. However, there are many bad things to note about rural public toilets.
1. The stench is enough to make you pass out
2. No toilet paper
3. There is no toilet flush (someone actually flushes water down the ditch at the end of the day).
4. There is no toilet seat (no western toilet!)
5. There is no toilet hole (no squat toilet!)
6. There is no bathroom door.
7. There is a waist-high toilet wall dividing each “cubic”
8. There is a small, one-foot-deep ditch to do your business.
9. There is a bin for used toilet paper and sanitary products (if you are unlucky, you may not even have this)
10. There may be someone # 2 waiting to greet you
11. There will probably be a lot of bare bottoms and other parts to greet you.
China knows how to unite its people.
Here are some things to consider in preparation for the worst bathroom experience in China (and some other countries)
* Never travel without toilet paper, sanitary napkins or tissue paper
* Some nice public restrooms have a roll of toilet paper near the entrance.
* A mask sprayed with perfume / cologne can help you with your trip to the bathroom.
* Always look for a 4 or 5 star hotel, or a newly built hotel to use the lobby bathroom.
* An umbrella is a useful tool to hide your butt from other bathroom users if there is no door
* Always use the bathroom in hotels, even if you don’t need it, you never know when your next bathroom break will be or how much worse the bathroom can be.
* If you’re lucky enough to get a squat toilet, look out of the hole (I was never sure why, but a friend told me that # 2 will go straight down that way. But I’ve still found evidence of people facing the problem address and # 2 obviously not removed)
* Never throw away the toilet paper as it will clog the pipe! (More on this later)
It doesn’t matter how many times I use them squat toilets and how many times I hear how hygienic it is compared to western toilets, I will always prefer western toilets! The fact is, not everyone knows how to properly use a squat toilet and I know that there is a higher percentage of people who miss when it comes to squatting.
Now let’s move on to the importance of NOT flushing toilet paper down the pipes!
I never really followed this advice until I stayed in the student dormitories in Beijing when I studied there. As a result of not obeying the rules, I had to go without a bathroom for up to 24 hours on several occasions. The toilet got clogged a couple of times even though I didn’t flush the toilet paper.
It’s not a proven fact, but rumor has it that the waste from the upper-floor bedrooms drains down to the lower level, so you are likely to have more problems with clogged toilets in the lower-level bedrooms. I know for a fact that some of my friends who were staying on the ground floor of the dorm building had the worst smelling toilets even after they had the whole room whitewashed …
Just don’t do it!
Don’t throw toilet paper down those pipes! Think of the poor Chinese whose job it is to unclog the mess you make, and just be thankful that the toilet can even flush!