They say that the road to the palace of wisdom is paved with excess. The folks at Hang Fu¬ng Gold Technology Group in Hong Kong must be very wise indeed. The company's Hong Kong showroom features the "Hall of Gold," which contains several opulent handcrafted treasures. But the tourist favorite is "The World's Most Expensive Gold and Jewelry Sparkling Environmental Friendly Washroom" [source: Hang Fung]. Perhaps the most admired item in the gold bathroom is the 24-carat solid gold toilet.
In early 2008, some concern arose that the famous gold toilet could be melted down. The jewelers assuaged the public's worries by announcing that the toilet will remain intact. However, the company says that some of the other fixtures in the golden lavatory may not fare so well [source: AFP].
The company's owners stipulated that if the price of gold reaches $1,000 per ounce, one ton (32,000 ounces) of the tourist attraction will be melted into bullion and sold [source: AFP]. The company would gross a cool $32 million, and the owners would net about $17.6 million.
The one-of-a-kind posh potty will be spared and remain in Hang Fung's showroom -- it's not for sale. But if you're itching to add some bling to your bathroom, there are some other fixtures on the market that might appeal to your expensive taste. Read about them on the next page.