Four modern toilets have been put into use in the Potala Palace, a museum and World Heritage Site in Lhasa. As part of the ‘Toilet Revolution’ in Lhasa, to upgrade and replace the original squat toilets eliminate tourists’ longtime worries of finding a safe and clean toilet in the Potala Palace.
The new white and scarlet toilets, which stand in a traditional wooden structure, mimic the external color scheme of the Potala Palace and visitors to the bathrooms are greeted by the smell of Tibetan incense. The whole construction idea was to restore them to what they were in the past and to be environmental-friendly. Designed by experts who specialize in conserving ancient buildings, the new toilets meet five-star hotel standards.
The original squat toilets, located at the two ends of the palace, were built 300 years ago half way up the mountain which the palace sits upon. Waste deposited in them would drop more than 10 meters, and they had the reputation of being the toilets with the biggest vertical drop in the world.
Next, Tibet Autonomous Region Government will put into operation toilets renovation in other tourist sites in Tibet, such as Yamdrok Tso Lake and Namtso Lake.