Pingtan promotes 'toilet revolution'

Pingtan, an island city in Southeast China's Fujian province plans to renovate and upgrade 95 public toilets in the rural areas by 2019, local media reported on March 22.

The city is also set to build 12 mobile restrooms, ptnet.cn reported.

Pingtan's efforts dovetail with the national drive to construct and upgrade public toilets, known as "toilet revolution" launched in 2015.

By the end of 2017, approximately 70,000 toilets had been built or reconstructed nationwide, according to Li Jinzao, director of the China National Tourism Administration, at the annual national tourism working meeting held in Xiamen, Fujian on Jan 8.

Presently, five among the planned 12 mobile restrooms have begun construction in Pingtan. The one situated in the city's sculpture park, has already been put into use.

In a bid to bring more convenience to local residents and visitors, the newly added one features a third restroom reserved for the elder, the disabled and children.

Meanwhile, it also realized intelligent management. Cleaners and users, through electronic screens equipped outside, could receive information on whether a cubicle is currently being used and how long a person has been inside it. In the case of any emergency, the people in charge would be alerted with a press of a button by the users.

According to local authorities, the renovation and upgrading of the 95 public toilets is scheduled to start later this year and finish within 2019.

The outlook of the newly opened mobile restroom in the Pingtan Sculpture Park [Photo/ptnet.cn]