To Sit or Squat: The Bathroom Question

For those not familiar with the bathroom situation in China, they do not believe in Western style sit-down toilets. Most bathrooms here consist of a slit or basin in the floor. To use this bathroom, you must first squat with one foot on either side of the basin and then get your pants or skirt out of the way. This can be a challenge when your legs are tired or for those with no sense of balance. I would argue that this builds strong leg muscles that may give the Chinese a significant edge in some sporting events, such as gymnastics but not basketball. Or it could be all of the bicycle riding…

Not matter the result, it is a challenge. Many people have argued that this type of bathroom is cleaner than Western sit toilets because you don’t touch the seat. However, this may be true for men, but for women it just seems to be a mess. If you’re doing more than peeing, you’d better have good aim. And always bring some tissue or TP because there will likely not be any. This is illustration is a very clean facility with automatic flush and the smell was minimal unlike many public toilets that simply reek.