Not content with building the world’s biggest dam, or perhaps inspired by it, China is now home to world’s largest public bathroom, or porcelain palace, as it’s being called.
The lavatory of luxury in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing features an Egyptian facade, soothing music and more than 1,000 toilets spread out over 32,290 square feet, the Associated Press reported.
Good news for tourists, not so good news for any nearby neighbors trying to shower or find water pressure to do dishes. That’s a lot of potential flushing at any given time.
Chongqing officials plan to submit an application to Guinness World Records to have the four-story facility listed at the world’s largest. OK, the Chongqing officials are understandably proud, but let’s not dream up any other world record associated with the palatial restroom, please.
The potty mega-mansion is located in the “Foreigners Street” tourist area of Chongqing.
“We are spreading toilet culture. People can listen to gentle music and watch TV,” said Lu Xiaoqing, an official with the tourist district. “After they use the bathroom, they will be very, very happy.”
Well, there’s a tourism slogan if there ever was one. “Spreading toilet culture.” Why, it sounds almost MetroNatural.
Of course, it also sounds very germy to spread toilet culture. The report did not include the number of employees it will take to clean up the entire 32,290-square-feet of toilet culture. It did note, however, that some urinals are uniquely shaped, including ones inside open crocodile mouths and several that are topped by a bust of a woman resembling the Virgin Mary. (So people can recognize her when her image appears on some soap?)
The report also didn’t reveal the answer to one of the burning questions of our time – will they hang the hundreds of rolls of toilet paper from the front or the back?
A little history. Did you know that first production of toilet paper can be traced to China? According to toiletpaperworld.com, yes, toiletpaperworld.com, in AD 1391, The Bureau of Imperial Supplies began producing 720,000 sheets of toilet paper a year, each sheet measuring two feet by three feet. For use by the emperors.
Amazingly, the toilet palace appears to not have a name. Apparently the Chinese are into the business of selling naming rights, the way we are. Here it might be something like AT&T Really Big Restroom Park.
For Chongqing, and its mission of spreading toilet culture, we suggest something slightly more subtle, such as One Thousand Thrones. Where everyone is an emperor.
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