Toilets in China's Unesco World Heritage site Yungang Buddhist Grottoes have been under fire recently due to newly installed digital timers. Photo / Unsplash
Toilets in China's Unesco World Heritage site Yungang Buddhist Grottoes have been under fire recently due to newly installed digital timers. Photo / Unsplash
The toilets at a major Chinese tourist attraction are gaining more attention than the destination itself.
The heritage site welcomes hundreds of guests every day and enjoyed a record high of 3 million visitors in 2023. As part of its strategy to accommodate big crowds, the female restrooms in the tourist destination have been recently upgraded with digital screens above each stall, indicating if the stall is free or occupied, complete with a timer above the door to show how long a person has been inside.
However, a video that has recently circulated on various Chinese news and social media sites has sparked mixed reactions as online communities debate whether it’s necessary or embarrassing.
A tourist who recently visited the heritage site sent the video to the state-run local newspaper, Xiaoxiang Morning Herald saying, “I found it quite advanced technologically so you don’t have to queue outside or knock on a bathroom door.”
However, the visitor did have a bone to pick: “But I also found it a little bit embarrassing. It felt like I was being monitored.”
Digital screens showing timers on toilets installed in China's popular tourist destination have recently faced scrutiny. Photo / Weibo
Many visitors share the same sentiment, saying they feel their privacy is being invaded, and questioning the necessity of such detailed monitoring.
A staff member at the Yungang Grottoes reportedly told the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald that the timers were installed not to control visitors’ time inside but for crowd control.
“It’s impossible that we would kick someone out [of the bathroom stall] midway. And we aren’t setting a time limit such as five or 10 minutes of how long one could use the toilets,” the staff member explained.
According to CNN, state-run newspaper Nanchang Evening News shared another staff member’s testimony, saying the timers are installed for emergencies, “ensuring the well-being of all guests, in case some guests use the toilet for an extended period and an emergency occurs”.
Still, the controversy surrounding the toilets continues to circulate on one of the biggest social media platforms in China, Weibo.
One user suggests blocking cellphone service in all toilets so users won’t spend as much time on their phones inside the toilets, creating queues.
However, many have questioned the function of the timers.
A concerned user commented, “Why not just show whether there are people or not? Why do you have to add time?”
Another user writes, “Why don’t they just spend the money on building more washrooms?”
Visitors continue to voice their concerns while others applaud its importance for medical emergencies, but it remains to be seen how the management will respond to growing scrutiny.
