He notes how the “Chinese don’t sit on benches while eating but squat like Europeans do when they relieve themselves out in the leafy woods. All this occurs quietly and demurely. Even the children are spiritless and look obtuse.”
I guess it would be too much to ask for people to find out if the statement is correct.
Now the words "spiritless and look obtuse" I can object to, since how would he know what a random Chinese person on the street is thinking. But when people travel they often describe the differences between people, and this is certainly one of the noticeable differences in a Chinese city.
While it looks odd to a westerner, if you think about it, it is a lot cleaner than sitting on a park bench. The only part of them touching the ground is the bottom of their shoes, just like when they are walking.
While it looks odd to a westerner, if you think about it, it is a lot cleaner than sitting on a park bench. I've traveled through China and Thailand a number of times and it's quite common to see men squatting like this all over. Women as well, but not nearly as much.
I just figured they're used to it since they use squat toilets. It seems to me to be related to how modernized or rural a place is. It was not common in the modern places. I didn't see it in Japan although I never have been to Rural Japan.