things since it's no longer "new" and surprising to you. Or maybe because of the circles you run in? Or maybe I've just been unlucky where I have worked?

I wasn't in the rural area ... I was in downtown Xi'an, Beijing, and Shenzhen, working for several weeks each time at major universities in those areas. I was mostly at the universities every day, but we did a lot of living and walking around the major areas in the city. Anyway, it was rare to find soap in the bathroom. At each university, I usually find one bathroom that has the glory blessing of both soap and TP and ... usually in a building for visiting tourists or something. In other words, it does not seem part of their culture, but they recognize it as part of Western culture, and thus provide it in areas where they expect Western visitors. You may argue that people figure this out and bring cleaning wipes, but ... that kind of reinforces what I'm saying ... it's not part of their culture, like it is ours, as you can see that by how they design their bathrooms. Also, if they have to pack their own soap every time, you would imagine the hand-washing won't happen very often. And that has been what I have witnessed too ... it's very rare for me to see people washing their hands in the restrooms.

Anyway, I value your experience living there for 20 years, and am surprised to hear your experience is different than mine. I wonder if maybe your experience is colored by where you work and who you work with? Perhaps the upper class sector? All I can report is my experience with college students, public areas, and Airbnb neighborhoods where we have lived (which also had very different levels of cleanliness than what we're used to ... we always have to clean the living area, kitchens, and bathrooms, when we first move in). Maybe I've just been very unlucky in where I have lived and where I have worked when I have been in China.

I still really love the Chinese, I do! But my experience is they do have very different cultural understandings about things like this than we do. It's just part of their culture it seems, but they have so many wonderful other aspects of their culture that I admire.

I also appreciate your experience living there ChinaFan and don't mean to dispute or discredit you. I'm just reporting what my experience has been.