Glass washrooms in China offer stunning views of the forest – and other users

A new public washroom in China’s Hunan province offers breathtaking views – so long as you don’t mind giving others a view of yourself.

The walls, ceiling and floor of the toilet cubicles, located in Shiyan Lake Ecology Park, are almost completely transparent.

That means when nature calls users relieve themselves while simultaneously soaking in the stunning beauty of Shiyan Lake.

Washroom visitors aren’t fully exposed.

A portion of the glass, from the floor to just over the toilet seat, is slightly frosted, shielding users from those who might be tempted to sneak a peek of something other than the great outdoors.

Shiyan Lake Ecology Park’s glass washroom opened last week – just in time for China’s National Day holiday, when millions of Chinese take advantage of a week of public holidays to travel around the country.

‘Insane. Perverse’

Social media users in China appear to be divided over the park’s new attraction.

More than 14,000 comments have been posted on Chinese news site QQ.com since the toilets opened.

Many involve concerns about privacy.

“All the lechers will then stay in the toilets,” commented a user named Fong.

Meanwhile, reader Lin asked: “Who would dare go to a toilet like this? Insane. Perverse.”

Some questioned the intention of the designers.

“The toilet is another scenic spot,” commented Weibo user Qiu.

“Such a victory in that sense.”

This isn’t the first public washroom in China to offer sweet views.

According to Chinese state media, a male washroom in the southern province of Guilin offers urinals mounted in front of two glass walls overlooking the flora and fauna outside and the mountains in the distance.

But Hunan province might just lead the way when it comes to building dramatic glass structures.

It’s also home to the recently opened cliff-clinging glass skywalk and the longest glass bridge in the world, which towers over a steep canyon.

And for lovers of interesting restrooms, earlier this year backpacker bible Lonely Planet published a handsome book featuring more than 100 of them.

From pop-up pissoirs to clifftop drops, the gallery below shows a selection from “Toilets: A Spotter’s Guide.”

Thiksey Monastery, Ladakh, India: Lamas at this Tibetan Buddhist monastery get to be at one with everything even during bathroom breaks. Their "panoramic toilet" is one of more than 100 included in Lonely Planet's "Toilets: A Spotter's Guide." (Picture credit: 500px)

Log outhouse, Chena Hot Springs Resort, Alaska: This employees-only wooden washroom helps cut down on yellow snow at Alaska's Chena Hot Springs Resort. (Picture credit: 500px)

Enontekio, Finland: This remote Arctic outhouse, offering a view of Finland's Salmivaara Fell, lies on Europe's most northerly hiking trail. (Picture credit: 500px)

Toilet island near Placencia, Belize: Inevitably, this one will be used at the precise moment the rescue helicopter flies overhead. (Picture credit: 500px)

Krafla, Iceland: The shower seems to be fed by geothermal waters, so no need to worry about flushing the toilet if someone's using it. (Picture credit: 500px)

Jericoacoara Beach, Brazil: Twenty years ago, this beautiful "undiscovered" beach was largely deserted. Now look at it. (Picture credit: 500px)

Chott el Djerid, Tunisia: These roadside "comfort toilets" stand near the Tunisian desert film location of "Star Wars." Insert your own "use the Force" joke here. (Picture credit: 500px)

Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal: At 6,812 meters, Nepal's Ama Dablam is no Everest. But the plumbing is better. (Picture credit: 500px)

Tonto Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona: The towering walls of the Grand Canyon failed to inspire the people who built these privacy-lite campsite toilets. (Picture credit: 500px)

Encounter Bay, Australia: This bushland eco-toilet serves the surfers and anglers using Waitpinga Beach on Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula. (Picture credit: 500px)

Taroko National Park, Taiwan: There's no shortage of running water at this bathroom on the Baiyang Waterfall Trail in Taiwan. (Picture credit: 500px)

Barafu Camp, Tanzania: Losing anything down the toilet is bad news. More so when it leads to a 4,600-meter drop off the side of Mount Kilimanjaro. (Picture credit: 500px)

Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada: Twice-daily tides wash away the waste from this wooden outhouse. (Picture credit: 500px)

Sony Center, Berlin: Standing around trying not to make eye contact with other men has never been so cool. (Picture credit: 500px)

Red Woods Toilets, Rotorua, New Zealand: These public toilets are encased in shrouds designed by Maori artist Kereama Taepa. Each depicts an extinct or endangered native bird. (Picture credit: 500px)

Jonsknuten, Kongsberg, Norway: There's no view of the 904-meter Jonsknuten mountain, unless the door is left open. But as Lonely Planet points out, the chances of being disturbed are minimal. (Picture credit: 500px)

Fjallabak Nature Reserve, Iceland: Forget the petrified lava, the real attraction of the Laugahraun hiking trail is this triangular toilet. (Picture credit: 500px)

Taylor Arm Provincial Park, British Columbia: The less said about bears, the better. (Picture credit: 500px)

Fountain of Toilets, Foshan, China: This flushing fountain made of 10,000 toilets celebrates Foshan's role as the ceramic capital of the world. It's the work of Chinese artist Shu Yong. (Picture credit: 500px)

Prototype space toilet: This suction-powered facility is designed to help astronauts do their business in zero gravity. (Picture credit: 500px)

Lonely Planet launches guide to world's most spectacular toilets

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