Mobile Toilets on Night Market Street
There is an urgent need for mobile toilets on night market streets, with民间 (civilian) attempts and government measures to increase their availability.
Urgent Need for Mobile Toilets on Night Market Streets: Night markets, as ideal places for summer relaxation, attract large crowds, but the issue of restroom access has become increasingly prominent. Taking the "Night Market" street in Lincheng as an example, most of the food stalls are set up outdoors with virtually no restroom facilities. The restrooms in nearby shops are also overwhelmed and unable to meet the demand. There is only one mobile public restroom in the entire area, with just two toilet stalls, far from sufficient to meet the needs of the large number of people. This leads many pedestrians and diners to resort to uncivilized and embarrassing solutions, such as relieving themselves beside walls or under trees, when they urgently need to use the restroom. Similarly, the Chunxi Road night market street in Huaxi District faces a similar problem. This night market has over 100 stalls and operates for long hours, with diners still present at midnight. However, finding a restroom while strolling through the night market is difficult, and the issue becomes even more pressing during periods of increased foot traffic after the summer season ends.
Civilian Attempts at Mobile Toilets: In response to the difficulty of finding restrooms on night market streets, civilians have made some attempts. For example, an elderly man in Chengdu set up a makeshift mobile toilet on a food street using a modified ordinary pushcart. Although the interior of the toilet is simple, separated only by a curtain, it provides a temporary solution and has attracted many visitors. This attempt has sparked heated discussions online, with some admiring the man's ingenuity and seeing it as an opportunity to fill a market gap, while others express concerns about hygiene issues, such as whether the water supply and cleanliness of the public toilet can be guaranteed, and whether it might become a "mobile bacteria incubator."
Government Measures to Increase Mobile Toilets: To address the restroom issue on night market streets, the government has also taken proactive measures. After conducting multiple on-site inspections of the conditions and consulting with the community, night market management units, and night market vendors about foot traffic, Huaxi District has installed a mobile public restroom at a central location on Chunxi Road night market street. This measure has completely resolved the restroom issue on the night market, safeguarding night market life and contributing to the development of the city's "night economy."
