Beijing boasts more public toilets than other Chinese cities

Beijing boasts more public toilets than any other city in China, with facilities no more than a five-minute walk away within the capital's fourth ring road.

Beijing has more than 20,000 public toilets, the most among Chinese cities, said Ji Yang, an official with the Beijing Municipal Commission of City Administration and Environment.

There are 20 public toilets per square kilometer within the fourth ring road and a public toilet every 500 meters inside the fifth ring road, said Ji.

The proportion of male to female public toilets in the city is 4 to 6. The public toilets have facilities for hand-washing, mirrors and special amenities for the disabled and children.

Several "toilet revolutions" have taken place in Beijing, according to the official. In 1949, Beijing had only 500 non-flush public toilets. In the 1960s, these toilets began to be converted into flush toilets.

"I have been to many cities, where it is troublesome to find a public toilet. But public toilets can be found anywhere in Beijing. It is very convenient and they are clean," said Jiang Hong, a tourist from Anhui Province.

Beijing will improve the distribution of toilet facilities and rebuild public toilets in areas where residents are displaced for construction projects, according to the commission.

Public toilets are an important symbol of advanced urban management, said Xu Wei, a professor in public policy and management at Minzu University of China. Endi