Bathrooms for Hutong dwellers planned
By Liu Chang (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-08-05 01:44

More than 50 new public bathrooms will be built in urban Beijing for people living in traditional "Hutong" houses, single-storey stone dwellings without private facilities.

Water used in the new bathrooms will cost the standard 3.7 yuan (45 US cents) per ton, the official Beijing Daily reported.

The bathrooms, which will be operated by private business people with proven track records of conducting business, will have bath tubs, toilets and sinks, all with running water.

After water prices were adjusted last week, water used in the bath house industry has risen to 61.5 yuan (US$7.4) per ton from 11.2 yuan (US$1.4) per ton, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform.But for the new, public bathrooms the price of the bathrooms will be controlled and customers will pay less than 10 yuan (US$1.2) to use the facilities, sources with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce said.

The move aims to solve problems residents living in "Hutong" traditional alleys, have in bathing without their own facilities.

"Can you believe that I only have a bath every two weeks in winter as there is no bathroom nearby?" said Zhai Zhenrong, 80, who lives in a residential compound in Beijing's Xuanwu District.

Having lived there for nearly 60 years, Zhai shares an old room of less than 20 square metres with her son, daughter-in-law and grandson.

"In summer, as it is too hot, I use a basin to wipe my body every day," she said.

Zhai was pleased at the news.

"I wish there could be one outside my door," she said.

A list of the locations of the new public bathrooms has not been finalized yet.

"The final list will be made public at neighbourhood committees in residential areas where the bathrooms will be built," a report by the Beijing News said.

But sources with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce Wednesday would not give a timetable.

All eight Beijing districts have "Hutong" but they are concentrated in Xicheng, Dongcheng, Xuanwu and Chongwen.

In each district there will be at least seven new facilities, all paying preferential water prices.

Government officials have warned that only bathrooms observing strict conditions will pay the low prices.

They must have water-saving facilities, meet national and municipal standards and not be pulled down for at least three years.

Business people with poor records will be forbidden to operate the bathrooms.

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce has also vowed to give certain subsidies to the bathrooms. The amount of subsidy was not revealed Wednesday.