Investigation and research on public toilets in classical gardens of Suzhou

Abstract

As tourism of Suzhou develops, an increasing number of tourists are attracted by classical gardens of Suzhou and infrastructures in such gardens are also constructed continuously. Especially, with respect to public toilets in gardens, Administrative Office of Gardens pays attention to managing public toilets and works hard to make tourists to have a perfect impression on gardens when facilities and equipment develop towards automation. However, unbalanced development also exists. In another word, construction of famous gardens with a large passenger flow volume has been improved, while level of tourism toilets in unknown gardens with an ordinary passenger flow volume is still backward. Besides, Administrative Office of Gardens has not included environmental protection in schedules and personalized configuration is little in public toilets of gardens. Comprehension and importance attached to toilet culture are not enough. There is a large gap between China and developed countries. The author hopes to put forward some improvement measures by investigating and studying public toilets in classical gardens of Suzhou. According to investigation on public toilets in classical gardens in Suzhou, it is found that both construction and management of public toilets in several gardens with high popularity have become perfect, while basic situations of public toilets in gardens with a small passenger flow volume are worrying. In addition, Administrative Office of Gardens in Suzhou neither pays enough attention to environmental problems about public toilets nor publicizes and popularizes toilet culture. Then, some uncivilized toileting behaviors appear in tourists, which causes much inconvenience for cleaners to clean such public toilets. Compared with developed countries, Suzhou falls behind largely in these aspects. The author finds that advantages and disadvantages of public toilets in gardens by investigating and studying layout, building features, basic facilities and equipment, sanitation and hygiene as well as construction and management of public toilets in gardens of Suzhou. Additionally, the author tries to propose improvement measures by analyzing and consulting construction and management measures about tourism public toilets in other countries and regions.