Beijing Public Toilets Get 'Two Fly Rule' to Set New Cleanliness Standards

Public toilets in Beijing have been set new standards for cleanliness, with rules stipulating that they should not contain more than two flies at any one given time.

The Beijing Municipal Commission of City Administration and Environment (BMCCAE) issued the new standard for public toilet management on Monday, the China Daily Reported. In accordance with the new requirements, discarded objects within public toilets should be no more than two, and litter bins should be cleared every 30 minutes.

The new regulations will be implemented in public areas such as parks, tourist areas, subways, hospitals, shopping centers and supermarkets, according to BBC News.

Doubts are being cast over whether such guidelines can be enforced as the commission has not yet announced any penalties for people who do not abide by the new guidelines.

The aim of the new rules are to tandardize toilet management in public spaces, according to Beijing's Municipal Commission of City Administration and Environment.

Similar regulations were laid out during the 2008 Beijing summer Olympics; however sanitary conditions varied from toilet to toilet.

Here's an insight into the conditions at Beijing public toilets from Michael Bristow, the BBC's Beijing correspondent:

Beijing public toilets are not known for their welcoming appeal. People often smell them before they see them. I only venture in at the most desperate of times.

And the word cleaning seems misplaced when applied to a public lavatory in Beijing. Dirty grey mops are occasionally dragged across a toilet floor, but not to any great effect. There is seldom toilet paper - or soap to wash your hands.

The best (or worst) that can be said about Beijing public loos is that there are a lot of them about.

There is a serious side to these regulations though. Many people who live in the city's old neighborhoods still do not have their own toilet - and have no choice but to use public conveniences. For them, these rules might make an unavoidable daily necessity a touch more palatable.