Top China tourist spot installs timers in women’s restrooms. Critics ask why
- Decision to call time on toilet stays is latest in long line of restroom rows to hit China tourist sites
A major tourist attraction in China has come under fire for installing timers on the doors of its women’s toilets in an effort to cut restroom queueing times.
The Yungang Grottoes cave complex in Shanxi province in northern China was created more than 1,600 years ago.
It features 45 major caves and more than 59,000 stone sculptures in Central and West Asian and European styles.
The site attracted more than three million visitors last year, generating an income of 200 million yuan (US$28 million), according to Yungang Grottoes Academe.
In June, a video went viral showing timers installed in the site’s women’s toilets.
The video shows that each door in the restroom is fitted with a timer. When occupied, the timer turns red and starts counting, when unoccupied, it turns green.