South China metropolis plans more gender-neutral toilets to ease long waits for women

GUANGZHOU, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, has unveiled a draft plan on public toilets that aims to address issues such as long queues at women's restrooms and encourages the repurposing of more toilets into gender-neutral facilities.

The Guangzhou public sanitation toilet layout plan (2024-2035), released on the website of the city's bureau of coordinated administrative law enforcement for urban management, has been open for public comments since Monday.

It specifically targets the repurposing of male toilets with low utilization, facilities with an imbalanced ratio of male-to-female stalls or those in need of renovation into gender-neutral restrooms.

The draft also covers child-friendly restrooms, with a call for better facilities and amenities tailored for families with young children.

According to the plan, the city, with a population of over 18 million, aims to construct or expand 933 public toilets by 2035.

China launched the "toilet revolution" in 2015 to increase both the number and sanitation levels of toilets at tourist sites. The campaign expanded to also focus on improving public toilets in cities and building better private toilets in rural areas.