A high-end public restroom in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, has become an unexpected tourist attraction, with visitors queuing to take photos during the Labour Day holiday.
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Located in the Dunhuang Night Market, the so-called “five-star” public toilet—reportedly built at a cost of several million yuan—has gone viral on Chinese social media since opening last year. Over the holiday period, it drew large crowds, with tourists treating it as a novelty sightseeing spot.
The facility, known as “Dunhuang Jingjie,” features a glass exterior resembling a modern office building. Inside, it is themed around the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, with mural-style artwork, decorative greenery, fragrance systems and rest areas. It also includes amenities such as a coffee machine and luggage storage on the upper floor.
Originally converted from a decades-old building, the facility also includes accessible toilets, a mother-and-baby room and public rest areas, combining functionality with cultural design elements.
The restroom has gained widespread attention online, with visitors sharing videos and photos outside the entrance. A popular trend shows tourists posing with rolls of toilet paper, turning the site into a humorous photo landmark.
“I came to Dunhuang mainly for this toilet,” one visitor was quoted as saying in widely circulated social media footage.
Many tourists said they were already aware of the site through viral posts and included it in their travel itineraries alongside sightseeing and dining in the area.
