Hygiene is important all over the world, but China takes a very high stance on the matter. The origins of a lot of objects can be identified as starting in China, such as toilet paper. On your China Tours you may see a lot of Chinese people wearing face masks around their mouths, it is not because China is full of disease, but more so to make sure they protect themselves against outside germs. When you Travel to Beijing or any other parts of China, don’t be alarmed with non westernised toilets as well.
Before I arrived in China, I didn’t know what to expect, but the image I had in mind was it looking more like India, dirty and full of people. But on arrival I realised it was nothing like that. The roads and streets were clean as well as buildings and public places. It is said that the Chinese people take great pride in being clean, even the poorest of people, will make sure their homes are spotless and children are properly groomed well before going to school.
Most Chinese believe that expelling bodily gases and fluids is essential for good health and that a failure to clear the throat of sputum can result in respiratory illness. This is why you shouldn’t be surprised to witness many instances of public spitting and urination, the blowing of the nose without the use of tissue paper as well as coughing and sneezing without covering one’s mouth and face. I once went to a super market and saw a man hold his child in a corner to pee. Following the 2008 Olympics, the Chinese government made a conscious decision to change people’s habits. There was a lot of publicity to tell people to stop these habits and implement a whole host of habits they should change, such as queing for buses.
China is a country of discovery along with the compass, the first known bristle toothbrushes were produced in China in 1498. China claimed to be the home of the first flush toilet. An ancient latrine was discovered on a Western Han Dynasty (200 B.C. to A.D. 24) tomb. Additionally, the Chinese also invented toilet paper in the 14th century. This seems like quite a strange fact as a lot of places in China have squatting toilets. There is a unique system of throwing tissue away in bins as oppose to flushing them to stop blockages in water pipes. Tissue may be rare to find in some places so always carry some with you, other times the toilet paper is located outside the toilets and not in cubicles. It was noted that 452 public toilets in 305 tourist sites were opened in recognition of the 2008 Olympics as well, accelerating form 0 to 4 stars.
Going to any country is an adventure and a shock to the system, accepting their way of life and doing things can only help you grow as a person. So in your China Travel if you come across a squatting toilet, do as the Chinese do and Squat, it’s al part of the experience.
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