Toilets, Drinking Water and Minor Illness in China

Updated October 4, 2026

Public facilities are common in cities, stations and major attractions, but toilet style, paper, soap and cleanliness vary. Carry a small tissue pack and sanitizer without assuming every toilet will be difficult.

Using Public Toilets

• Search 公共厕所 (public toilet) or 卫生间 (toilet) in a China-ready map app.
• Transport hubs, malls, museums and large restaurants usually have signed facilities.
• A row may include squat and seated toilets. Accessible cubicles are marked 无障碍.
• Paper may be outside the cubicle or absent. Carry tissues and dispose of them according to the bin and local signage.
• Keep your phone and loose items secure; squat facing the raised hood and keep clothing clear of the floor.

Do not wait until boarding a long-distance bus or entering a large scenic area. Use the facility at the transport hub, then carry supplies for the next section.

Drinking Water

Do not treat ordinary tap water as ready to drink. Use sealed bottled water or water that has been properly boiled. Hotel kettles are common; let water reach a full boil and keep the vessel clean. At stations and airports, hot-water dispensers may be intended for reusable bottles and instant food.

Check the cap seal when buying water. In hot, humid or high-altitude conditions, drink regularly and replace electrolytes when appropriate, but do not use excessive water intake as a substitute for medical help.

Pharmacy Basics

Look for 药店 (pharmacy). Bring the medicine's generic name, active ingredient, dose and a photograph of the original package; brand names often differ. Useful requests include:

Do not buy an unfamiliar product only because its translated label sounds similar. Confirm the active ingredient, strength, contraindications and interaction with your existing medicine. Antibiotics, controlled medicines and prescription products require clinical judgment, not a travel phrase card.

Bring an adequate personal supply in original packaging, plus the prescription or clinician letter when relevant. The arrival and customs guide explains documentation; rules for controlled substances must be checked with Chinese customs and your embassy before departure.

Clinic, Hospital or International Department?

Use a pharmacy only for a minor, familiar problem when you can identify the product safely. Choose a clinic or hospital when symptoms are severe, worsening, unexplained, involve breathing or consciousness, follow a serious injury, or affect a high-risk traveler.

An international medical department may offer more English support and simpler insurer coordination, usually at a higher price. A public hospital can be appropriate but may require registration, payment before tests and translation help. Bring your original passport, payment methods, medicine list and insurance details.

Call 120 for an ambulance, 110 for police and 119 for fire. Show a Chinese address or live map pin. The government's 2025 guide for foreign residents confirms these national emergency numbers.

Prepare Before a Sick Day

1. Save the insurer's 24-hour assistance number and claim process offline.
2. Keep allergies, conditions and generic medicine names in Chinese and English.
3. Identify a nearby hospital after checking into each city.
4. Carry tissues, sanitizer, oral rehydration supplies and familiar medicines.
5. Read the full doctor-visit guide and China safety guide.

For travel-insurance decisions, compare policy wording for pre-existing conditions, altitude, scooters, evacuation, cashless treatment and claim documentation rather than buying on price alone.