"Save on Accommodation"… Dozens Crowd Women's Restrooms at Chinese Tourist Sites

Tourist Spotted Spending Night in Bathroom to Save on Accommodation Costs

As the National Day holiday, one of China's biggest festivals, began on the 1st, shocking scenes have emerged of Chinese tourists sleeping in restrooms at tourist sites to save on accommodation costs.

According to Hong Kong media Sing Tao Daily on the 4th, recent photos posted on Chinese social media show tourists visiting Huangshan in Anhui Province, China, a UNESCO World Heritage site, spending the night on restroom or restaurant floors, causing public dismay.

Chinese female tourists sitting on the floor of the Huangshan restroom.
[Photo by Chengdu Daily]

The released photos show a women's restroom packed with about 20 tourists. They are sitting on mats laid on the floor, unable to stretch their legs, each looking at their mobile phones. Sing Tao Daily reported that similar photos of tourists spending the night in Huangshan restrooms were found online during this year’s Labor Day holiday (May 1?5).

The reason tourists chose restrooms over hotels is due to soaring accommodation costs in Huangshan during the peak travel season. In fact, Chinese social media shares tips on traveling Huangshan on a tight budget, including using restrooms.

Local netizens who saw the photos reacted with shock, saying things like, "Saving money is fine, but this is too unhygienic," "Safety is a concern," "Can anyone really sleep on a restroom floor?" "It looks extremely cramped," "I would never use the restroom like that," "Some regulation seems necessary," and "There are many affordable accommodations, so why do this?" The Huangshan management office also stated, "There is no night tourism in Huangshan and it is outside business hours," adding, "We do not recommend spending the night in restrooms."