Restroom Observations in China

Americans are quite prude to tell you the truth, especially when it comes to nudity or toilet usage.  When we go into the restroom, it is for business purposes only.  Get in, get out, and not a word in between.  What I’ve experienced in China, however, is quite different.

note* This is from a Male’s perspective only.  I can’t say that I’ve had too much experience in the women’s bathroom, other than by mistake or intoxication, so I can’t make any observations.

General Restroom Notes:

In the west, men prefer to use the side urinals first so that they don’t have to stand next to each other if someone new comes in.  In China, men tend to pick the middle urinal first.  I can’t say for sure what this might mean psychologically, but I can guess it have the same source as conformity vs individualism in culture.  Chinese men are more comfortable with this natural function it seems than western men.

For those of you who don’t know, Chinese toilets do not come with a seat – they are holes in the ground that are neatly topped off with the same material that western toilets are.  Actually I don’t mind these toilets at all, as they are potentially more sanitary (when people follow general sanitation rules of course), and give your legs a slight work-out.  In some places there are separate urinals, while in others there is just one long urinal.

Toilet meetings at the workplace

One of the most puzzling things I’ve experienced is when walking into the restroom at work, I often find a group of my Chinese coworkers either smoking and chatting or, like today, actually having a meeting and talking about work problems — they aren’t using the facilities.  The stairwell is used for similar reasons.  There is no designated area for smoking or resting at my company, so our workers choose the bathroom or the stairwell for these purposes in order to find an out of the work-area place to relax.

I usually end up peeing in the stalls instead of at the urinals, but other Chinese workers will walk right into the crowd and start pissing away.  Perhaps this is a just personal problem of mine with pee-shyness.

At the Soccer (football) field

Some restrooms in China do not have any separators at all between toilets.  One time at a soccer game I walked into the bathroom to find 10 toilets in a semi-circle – well 10 holes in the ground in a semi-circle.  My friend walked over and pulled down his pants as if it were nothing.  I asked him why don’t they have separators, and he told me that this toilet facility feels more friendly than those with separators.  He said that he prefers this toilet arrangement so he can chat with friends and have a smoke while doing his business.  It becomes an experience rather than just a daily routine.

Conclusions:

Chinese toilet culture is quite different than that of the west, and it has a much more homely feel to it. It’s perfectly ok to ask your guy friends “anyone need to take a piss” and not get a “your gay” reaction.

The sanitation practices will improve over time in China, such as hand washing, spitting, and not flushing the toilet, but the overall atmosphere in a Chinese bathroom will always remain fundamentally different than that of a western bathroom.  To be honest, I would prefer a mix of both toilet cultures. Less stiffness, but fewer bathroom meetings, and both toilet choices depending on your mood.

Enjoy!

Related posts:

1. When in Rome… do’s and don’ts.
2. Tips for Celebrating the Chinese New Year in China
3. How to resolve problems with service and transactions
4. Movie: 叶问 YeWen (Yip Man) (2008)

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