Only, in China, you often don't sit to do your business. You squat.
I may not have discussed toilets while we were in Vanuatu, but while there, the most common form of toilet was what was known as a 'bush toilet'; you might also call it a hole in the ground with some walls and a roof. (Not always true, some bush toilets had a wooden box seat built in.) Basically it was a composting outhouse built with the purpose of isolating human waste to reduce disease incidence.
Chinese toilets were not bush toilets though. They were charming porcelain commodes built right into the floor, with areas to put your feet, instead of a seat to rest your bum. AND, they flushed. Bush toilets do not flush. We are clearly talking about sophisticated toilets, here.
In addition to requiring users to squat, Chinese toilets, like Vanuatu bush toilets, often come without toilet paper. Some public bathrooms did have a big roll at the entrance to grab some before you went into the stall, but this was not universal, and I often found that the roll was empty when I checked it anyway. So I got used to carrying around a packet of tissues with me. (This packet served double duty as most restaurants did not provide napkins, or you needed to pay extra for napkins. Definitely an important thing to remember.) Interestingly, I also discovered that once you use the toilet tissue, you do not flush it, but you throw it in the waste basket that is often right next to the toilet. Could the plumbing system not handle it? Was this not a habit that's been picked up yet? I don't know. But when in Beijing…
Hong Kong was a bit mixed in the toilet department, for those who are wondering. Generally, I found them to have seat toilets, but some public places also had squat toilets available. They were distinguished by signs on the outside of the stall. In some of the seat stalls, there were signs saying "Please do not squat on the toilet seats". (Sorry, didn't get a picture of those signs!)
This sign means "squat".
This sign means "sit".
For those who may have been interested in traveling to China, but have found themselves rather put off by the idea of having to squat to eliminate waste, I will note that I mostly experienced squat toilets in public bathrooms and that every hotel I stayed at had standard seat toilets, and toilet tissue was included.
But you should really try squatting. It's quite good for the colon.
