Pound Lane Public Toilet

Built in 1904. Located at Junction of Pound Lane & Tai Ping Shan Street, Sheung Wan. The living condition in the Chinese area was extremely poor and highly intensive. There were seldom public toilets. There are lots of hygiene problems in hospitals too.This is the first public toilet that provides a bathhouse and is separated into male and female in Hong Kong. The toilet was designed with hygiene awareness that was a ventilation system in order to keep inside dry and fresh. It provides hot water when burning coal in the past.

Before the bubonic plague, there had been malignant malaria fever that suffered people. The crowded and grubby living environment became the main factors that why the plague was out of control. This toliet was a sign of raising Hong Kong people hygiene awarness, also the adjustment of policies of the colonial government. Although it was built after ten years of the plague, it was better than never. Which acting an important role to improve the situation. In recent years, the Pound Lane Public toilet had been evaluated as one of the Grade II historic buildings in Hong Kong. The toilet witnessed the changes of the city in around 95 years.