Tip: Save the phrase cards you may need before you go out. If a translation app fails, you can show the image directly to a hotel clerk, driver, cashier, restaurant staff member, or police officer.
Start here: Carry tissue and hand sanitizer. Public toilets can be clean, but toilet paper and soap are not guaranteed everywhere.
This is one of the least glamorous but most useful first-day China tips. Many malls, airports, hotels, and modern restaurants have good toilets. But public bathrooms in parks, older streets, small restaurants, tourist sites, and transport areas can vary a lot.
The first thing to know
- Toilet paper may not be inside the stall. Sometimes it is outside the stall, sometimes it is not provided at all.
- Squat toilets still exist. Many places also have seated toilets, but not always.
- Soap may be missing. Carry hand sanitizer.
- Malls and hotels are your safest bathroom backup. If you are unsure, look for a shopping mall, hotel lobby, modern cafe, or major train station.
What should you do?
- Carry a small pack of tissues every day. Do not wait until you need it.
- Use the bathroom before leaving airports, malls, hotels, and restaurants.
- Check for toilet paper before using the stall.
- Keep hand sanitizer in your bag.
- If you need a seated toilet, look for accessible/family restrooms or larger malls and hotels.
Bathroom mistakes to avoid
- Assuming every bathroom has paper.
- Waiting until you are in a small scenic area or old street.
- Leaving your bag or phone in an unsafe place while using the restroom.
- Expecting every toilet to be Western-style seated.
Toilet phrases worth saving
- 请问，洗手间在哪里？ (Qingwen, xishoujian zai nali?)
Where is the restroom?
Save this phrase card before you go out. - 请问，有纸巾吗？ (Qingwen, you zhijin ma?)
Do you have tissues?
Save this phrase card before you go out. - 请问，有坐便器吗？ (Qingwen, you zuobianqi ma?)
Is there a seated toilet?
Save this phrase card before you go out.
FAQ
Are public toilets in China always bad?
No. Many are fine, especially in airports, malls, hotels, and newer transport hubs. The issue is inconsistency, so carry your own basics.
Should I flush toilet paper?
Follow local signs. In some places you may see a bin for paper. If there are signs, follow them.
Before you lose signal or battery: save the few cards and addresses you may need today, especially hotel address, pharmacy, payment failure, and emergency help.
Next: Go back to Daily Basics, or save the related Chinese phrase cards.