China unveils new high-tech public toilets with Wi-Fi, vending machines and ATMs

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The first next-generation public bathroom opened yesterday in Beijing
Luxurious space contains toilets, e-commerce area and flat-screen TV sets
Facility is set to be a meeting point for residents away from home and work
More branches are expected to open in Beijing and other Chinese cities

Published: 12:04 EST, 20 November 2015 | Updated: 14:55 EST, 20 November 2015

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With the squat toilets, dim lights and likely a shortage of bog rolls, the idea of going to the public bathrooms in China could be daunting.

But the country's capital city Beijing yesterday unveiled its new super high-tech restroom aiming to refresh the image of Chinese public toilets.

The cutting-edge facility, named 'The Fifth Space,' comes with Wi-Fi, vending machines, ATMs and flat-screen TV sets. Also charging stations for the country's popular electric scooters, reported the People's Daily Online.

Luxurious: China's capital city Beijing has unveiled its next-generation super high-tech public toilets (pictured)

The restroom, named 'The Fifth Space', comes with Wi-Fi, vending machines and even ATMs

The first new-generation bathroom opened to the public on Thursday in front of the government offices of the Fangshan District in south-west Beijing.

The event is timed to celebrate the 'World's Toilet Day,' which falls on the same day, and is a part of the first 'China Toilet Revolution Propaganda Day.'

According to a flatplan displayed outside of the building, the spacious beige-tiled restroom has 11 different sections, including male toilets, female toilets, unisex toilets, accessible toilets, baby-changing facilities, an e-commerce area and an ATM room.

The entire area has available Wi-Fi and there are vending machines selling different type of soft drinks. Each toilet or urinal is equipped with a flat-screen TV set nearby for entertaining the user.

Clean and comfort: Each toilet or urinal is equipped with a flat-screen TV for the purpose of entertainment

Functional: Toilet users can also buy drinks from the vending machines (left) and pay their utility bills using a multi-purpose phone (right)

According to a flatplan outside of the building (pictured), the spacious restroom has 11 different sections

More impressively, charging stations have been installed outside the building so that customers can leave their electric bikes to be powered while answering the call of nature.

Residents can also pay their utility bills in the toilets using multi-purpose public phones.

It seems designers hope the new facility will be a meeting point for residents away from home and work

A spokesman from Beijing Environmental Sanitation Engineering Group told the People's Daily Online that they hope the new public restroom will become 'the fifth space' besides the family space, work space, leisure space and cyber space.

Hence, the sign of the restroom will be changed from 'WC', a traditional sign for public toilets in China, to the number '5.'

And even all the functions above are not enough in Beijing's ambition toilet revolution.

The spokesman said: 'We will learn Japan's experience to provide basic physical examination in the restrooms, such as blood pressure, heart rate and urinalysis.'

More 'The Fifth Space' toilets are due to open on the outskirts of Beijing soon - in Fangshan, Tongzhou, Shunyi and Pingu districts - as well as other Chinese cities, including Guiyang, Haikou, Kunming and Zhangjiakou.