This photo, published on July 30, shows the banana sign attached to the front of a men's room in a restaurant in Zhengzhou, Henan province. [Photo: Orient Today]
Male customers dining in a pizza shop in downtown Zhengzhou were surprised to find a huge plastic banana hanging on the front door of their toilet while answering nature's call; on the female side, the situation was similar, there were two white peaches attached to the back wall.
Over a period of ten minutes, 12 customers were "confused" and hesitated to enter the toilet, Orient Today, a local newspaper reported.
Zhengzhou, the capital of central China's Henan province, was ranked the worst in the province in a recent survey conducted by the provincial Department of Quality Inspection in providing correct and standard public signs for its public facilities.
In particular, its public toilets have four out of ten failing to meet the required standard.
Besides the banana vs. peach duet, other "imaginative" or "vulgar" signs like screw and nut, dragon and phoenix, and pipe/hat and high-heels have all contributed to the chaotic situation dizzying people's minds.
Other informative sign posts, like those on tourist sites, bus stations, and hotels, have a qualified rate of a mere 50 percent. Many of these signs are misleading to visitors as their information is long outdated.
"You can know where your destination is and how you can get there in many other cities in the province, but not in Zhengzhou," Zhang Liang, director of the Standard Institute under the Department of Quality Inspection, said.
The city should be spending more efforts in coordinating each department to regulate and update its sign posts, according to Zhang.