Tam Pui / Chinese Potty Not For Serving Wine / Soup!

Dr. Adrian Wong

2 years ago

Tam Pui / Chinese Potty Not For Serving Wine / Soup!

Unscrupulous people are selling the Tam Pui – Chinese potty – as a home decoration, a wine chiller or a fruit basket.

But you should really NOT use the Tam Pui or Chinese potty for serving wine or soup!

Tam Pui : Chinese Potty Sold As Decoration On Amazon!

This unscrupulous person is selling the Tam Pui as a “1960s Chinese Traditional Fruit Basket” or “Chinese Antique Kitchen & Dining Table Decoration” or “Traditional Fruit Basket”.

The seller claims that it is an antique Chinese traditional fruit basket of the 1960s, that is suitable to be used as ice bucket for wine, or a housewarming gift, or a decorative item for your kitchen or dining table!

The truth is – this is a Chinese potty, which is used to toilet-train children in China, Malaysia and Singapore 20-40 years ago.

Even worse – the seller wanted CDN$68.45 (about US$54 / RM 219) for this Chinese potty that only costs about US$4 in China!

Tam Pui : Chinese Potty For Toilet Training

To those who are unfamiliar with the Tam Pui – this is a chamber pot, a portable toilet, a potty. Some people also use it as a spittoon. But never for food or anything nice.

The Tam Pui was used by Chinese families, not only in China but also other Asian countries like Malaysia and Singapore, to potty train their children in the 1960s to maybe the 90s.

The child would sit on it and do his/her business into the Tam Pui, and the parents can clean up before disposing of the waste and toilet paper / waste water.

They are still used these days as portable urinals in hostels or rented rooms without ensuite toilets, for late night convenience.

And one may be purchased as a good luck gift for a newly-wed couple – to imply that they will soon have a baby.