Fancier Flush

Many Chinese homes lack modern bathrooms. Even in restaurants, the toilet is often a concrete pit or a porcelain fixture with footpads over which the user squats. Now, no kidding, the Chinese have become members of the Singapore-based World Toilet Organization (W.T.O.). Public bathrooms are undergoing lavish renovation, and consumers who want a modern flush at home can find “bathroom appliances” featured prominently in home improvement and interior design stores.