Next time you are paying a visit to Beijing you will probably need to use biometric scanners to get access to toilet paper in public restrooms.
Tourist authorities in China’s capital have started using facial recognition technology to limit how much toilet paper a person can take in public facilities.
The move is part of a “toilet revolution” in a country looking to upgrade its public facilities.
Zhan Dongmei, a researcher with the China Tourism Academy, said: “Today in China, people are highly enthusiastic about tourism, and we have entered a new era of public tourism. The expectation of the public for the toilet is becoming higher.”
He added: “People take away the paper mostly because they are worried they can’t find any when they want to use it the next time. But if we can provide it in every toilet, most people will not do it any more.
Launched two years ago, the revolution aims for at least 34,000 new public toilets in Beijing and 23,000 renovated by the end of 2017. According to Zhan, the toilet revolution is about 90 per cent complete.
The move comes after Shanghai opened its first gender-neutral public toilet in November.
