"At the end of 2000, as part of a citywide pre-Olympic campaign to improve sanitation facilities, the government rebuilt the public toilet at the head of Ju'er Hutong. The change was so dramatic that it was as if a shaft of light had descended directly from Mt. Olympus to the alleyway, leaving a magnificent structure in its wake. The building had running water, infrared-atomated flush toilets, and signs in Chinese, English, and Braille. Gray rooftop tiles recalled traditional Hutong architecture. Rules were printed onto stainless steel."This is a very nicely written story about the rapidly changing face of Beijing as China modernizes the city, tearing down traditional ancient neighborhoods and replaces them with modern buildings. The public toilet became a social center for this old neighborhood. I found the idea that users were entitled to one free piece of toilet paper 2 1/2 feet long by 4 inches wide fascinating. We take so much for granted.
"Number 3: Each user is entitled to one free piece of common toilet paper (length 80 centimeters, width 10 centimeters)."
From "Letters From China - Hutong Karma - The Many Incarnations of a Beijing Alleyway" by Peter Hessler, The New Yorker Feb 13 & 20, 2006.
The people in the hutong spend a lot of time outside their homes - visiting, buying things from street vendors, selling things, watching a TV set up by the public toilet, drinking and eating. It sounded very social and very connected in comparison to the West, where we tend to stay in our houses, drive in our cars and use the internet as a means to connect.
