'Toilet revolution' moving forward in Hangzhou

Since public restrooms cater to people of all ages and groups, the Lansing team also incorporated several human-friendly designs. They installed vanity counters in the women's restrooms, full-length mirrors in the men's restrooms, and in the third restroom, they provided facilities for disabled individuals, and parents with infants and children. Every design detail, from the size of the stalls to the height of the handrails and the positioning of the fixtures, was carefully measured and tailored to the specific needs of different users.

In addition to the restrooms, the Lansing team installed vending machines outside, offering water, snacks and even cultural products to meet the diverse needs of tourists, joggers and walkers. There are currently three Lansing Public Toilets in the West Lake scenic area.

Zhao places great importance on users' feedback. Each restroom stall features a "Shaohua Mailbox", where users can scan a QR code to leave their comments or suggestions. One memorable email Zhao received was from a 70-year-old visitor from Taiwan, Mr Zeng, who wrote: "Thank you for providing advanced facilities and services that allow visitors to use the restroom without having to hold their noses. Your team, especially Mr He, have maintained the environment immaculately — there wasn't a single cobweb hanging in sight. Your restrooms are so clean that they could serve as a photo backdrop. I give you five stars for your work." Mr Zeng also included a photo of himself, his family and He Xueming, the restroom attendant, taken outside the restroom.

Zhao's vision is to "make sure no one ever has to struggle to find a clean restroom." This vision has greatly influenced both the design and operation of the Lansing Public Toilets. "I expect my team to create designs that lead the way. We're not just aiming for today's design standards; we want our restrooms to play a greater role in future cities and scenic areas. We're not simply addressing the issue of dirty, smelly restrooms. We want our public restrooms to be friendly, inviting spaces — buildings that connect people. This is just the beginning. In the future, I believe that public restrooms and rest stops will become important nodes in cities, serving as functional spaces that bring people together," Zhao said.