Proud to be a toilet cleaner

Zhang Minghua's typical day begins before the sun rises and ends around 11 pm. Zhang Xuan gets a glimpse of her life outside Lama Temple in Beijing.

A day in the life of Zhang Minghua, a 46-year-old public toilet cleaner outside the revered Lama Temple (Yonghegong) in downtown Beijing, begins early. She reports to work at around 5 am and cuts a lonely figure while putting on her uniform to begin cleaning the women's toilet before daylight breaks. The temple stays open from 9 am to 4 pm daily.

Her job usually ends by 11 pm, even during the bitter winter. Zhang wakes up without an alarm.