As the Olympic torch relay was launched in Beijing last week, a number of landmark infrastructure projects reached completion. These included Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport; the Beijing National Stadium, commonly known as the Bird's Nest; and the National Aquatics Centre, or Water Cube.
But, for citizens and the press alike, there was a more urgent matter to question municipal officials about - the availability of public toilets outside these billion-dollar projects.
The Bird's Nest and Water Cube are already attracting a mounting number of visitors from the capital, other parts of the country and abroad.
This flood of tourists caught the municipal government off guard, as public restrooms surrounding these giant buildings had yet to be installed.
Reporters found that the nearest public toilets were 1km from the Water Cube, while the closest ones to the Bird's Nest were in a small park, 200 metres away.
Worse, there were no signs giving directions to these facilities, with those needing to go left to navigate their way through traffic crossings, office buildings and shops. When asked, security guards told visitors to use toilets in nearby offices, or even relieve themselves next to the unfinished fences.