With Beijing bringing in new regulations allowing only two flies in public toilets and the city of Nanchang in Jiangxi province allowing three, the popular tourist city of Sanya in Hainan province is going all out and banning flies altogether.

Sanya has more than 400 public restrooms, the majority of which are connected to other public venues. The regulation only applies to the 110 public toilets directly managed by the sanitation bureau.

Yet random checks by local newspaper Southern Report found that sanitation in some of the public toilets is still a problem.

An official from the sanitation bureau said each public toilet is examined at least once a month. If flies are found, a thorough cleanup would be required.

Local residents have different views on limiting flies.

"It's impossible to offer a fly-counting job, right?" asked one local resident cited by the report. But another resident said he saw the regulation as improving sanitation.