The toilets at a major Chinese tourist attraction are gaining more attention than the destination itself. The Yungang Buddhist Grottoes, a Unesco-listed World Heritage site in China , is renowned for its 51,000 statues carved into 252 caves, reflecting the splendour of ancient Buddhist art and devotion . The heritage site welcomes hundreds of guests every day and enjoyed a record high of 3 million visitors in 2023.
As part of its strategy to accommodate big crowds, the female restrooms in the tourist destination have been recently upgraded with digital screens above each stall, indicating if the stall is free or occupied, complete with a timer above the door to show how long a person has been inside. Read more: Why your tourist toilet habits are bad for locals However, a video that has recently circulated on various Chinese news and social media sites has sparked mixed reactions as online communities debate whether it’s necessary or embarrassing. A tourist who recently visited the heritage site sent the video to the state-run local newspaper, Xiaoxiang Morning Herald saying, “I found it quite advanced technologically so you don’t have to queue outside or knock on a bathroom door.
” However, the visitor did have a bone to pick: “But I also found it a little bit embarrassing. It felt like I was being monitored.” Many visitors share the same sentiment, saying they feel their privacy is being invaded, and questioning the necessity of such detailed monitoring.
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