Footage has revealed the use of toilet timers in China, an ominous development in the surveillance-obsessed state.
The Yungang Buddhist Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its 51,000 statues carved into 252 caves over 1,500 years ago, has introduced the first timed toilets.
A viral video shared on Chinese social media site Weibo shows digital timers installed above a row of toilet cubicles in a female washroom at the Yungang Grottoes.
Each stall has its own timer, which displays the word “empty” in green when unoccupied and shows the number of minutes and seconds the door has been locked when in use.
The footage has sparked outrage and numerous reactions on Weibo. Some tourists suggested that the timers would discourage visitors from spending excessive time on their phones in the toilet. However, others questioned the necessity and efficiency of such measures.
One user commented: “A tourist site isn’t an office – who would spend their time in the toilets? Is it really necessary?”
Another added: “Why don’t they just spend the money on building more washrooms?”
Despite the controversy, some users pointed out potential benefits, such as aiding those with medical emergencies who might struggle to call for assistance.
Speaking to the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, a staff member explained that the timers were installed to manage the increase in visitors and are not meant to limit the duration of bathroom use.
“It’s impossible that we would kick someone out [of the bathroom stall] midway,” they said. “And we aren’t setting a time limit such as five or ten minutes of how long one could use the toilets.”
A visitor who captured the original video found the technology both advanced and intrusive.
“I found it quite advanced technologically so you don’t have to queue outside or knock on a bathroom door,” they told the paper. “But I also found it a little bit embarrassing. It felt like I was being monitored.”
The Yungang Grottoes, which received over three million visitors in 2023, is one of China’s major attractions in Shanxi province. The introduction of toilet timers aligns with China’s broader surveillance trends, including the social credit system introduced in 2020.
This system rewards “good citizens” and punishes those considered lazy or “uncivilised” by analyzing social media habits. Citizens with low ratings can face restrictions on booking flights, renting or buying property, and securing loans.
The development at the Yungang Grottoes is not unprecedented. In 2020, a tech firm in Beijing installed similar digital timers above toilet cubicles in their office, reflecting the growing trend of monitoring personal behavior in public and private spaces across China.
