Controversial toilet waterfall stays in Foshan

Foshan, a city in South China's Guangdong province, has one of the strangest public art: a fountain and waterfall built with 10,000 recycled toilets, sinks and urinals covering a wall which is 100 meters long and almost 5 meters tall. The waterfall was originally designed for the 2009 Foshan Pottery and Porcelain Festival, a porcelain product trade show, before being installed as a permanent piece of public art. When it debuted, it sparked heated debate among local residents who accept it as part of the city landscape.

The artwork was created by Chinese artist Shu Yong and his team who spent 2 months installing the toilets. The toilets are a mixture of unwanted factory seconds and ones donated by foreigners and locals. All the toilets and urinals are actually connected to a tap so that they could be flushed. The installation is flushed periodically, creating a cascading waterfall to the amusement of passers-by.

Toilet bowls, sinks and urinals are displayed on the toilet waterfall in Foshan city, South China's Guangdong province, 26 November 2014. [Photo/IC]