Public restrooms revamp wins praise in Hohhot

A public restroom in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region [Photo/sohunews]

A revamp of public restrooms in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region is helping ease the city's shortage of public places of convenience.

A total of 289 new public restrooms have been built in Hohhot since August this year, with 234 put into service. 

"Just like cafes, the public restrooms are now clean and well-equipped, much different from they used to be," said Han Cheng, a resident in Hohhot.

These newly built public restrooms are not only a place to answer nature's call, but also a place for rest. Inside these public facilities, there are refreshments, books, charging sockets, and restrooms. These facilities also offer free WiFi, hot water, and other services for the convenience of residents.

Residents have a chat in a public restroom in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [Photo/sina.com]

According to statistics, before August there were only 767 public restrooms on the streets and most of them were traditional dry toilets, which were basically a pit under two wooden planks, and difficult to find.

Now it's easy for local residents and visitors to find a public restroom. Some government buildings are also required to grant public access to their restrooms. More than 500 signs have been erected on streets to direct people. 

Apart from the street signs, people can look for the closest public restrooms through an app developed by local government. The app can show people the location of all the public restrooms and also tell people whether they are available or not.

So far, the local government has built 109 free temporary parking lots near the public restrooms to meet the demands of drivers.

"Many people come here every day since its establishment. They will read books or have some tea here out of curiosity," said Lyu Xuemin, a cleaner in a public restroom.

The facilities have won wide praises among residents. A resident named Hao Meiying said she enjoys reading books and measuring her blood pressure there after taking a walk.

The biggest challenge faced by the local government is how to manage and maintain the facilities in the long run. Government officials in Xincheng, Huiming and Saihan districts are therefore exploring ways to seek financial support for maintenance.