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Beijing: massage à la carteThe newest craze among Beijing’s foreign business executives: slipping out for a massage on their lunch hour. Most treatments include a mid-day meal, on the house.Photos BY macarena achurra
According to the postulates of traditional Chinese medicine, one should not have a massage on a full stomach. As a result, some Beijing wellness centers offering such services pair their extensive menu of body treatments with a lunch menu featuring light, healthy choices that can be enjoyed post-massage. The idea is to nourish the body once a pair of expert hands has relaxed it. It works like this: after you select the treatment you want from a long list of choices, you are ushered into a private room where you trade your shoes and street clothes for a comfortable bathrobe and a pair of slippers. After your massage (which can last anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes), you have an extra half an hour during which to enjoy the house specialties. These are generally quick, healthy dishes that cater to a range of tastes. Guests may choose from ham and cheese sandwiches, a selection of cookies, rice and vegetables or vegetable soup accompanied by coffee, fruit juices or soft drinks. Eat as much or as little as you like: it's all included in the price of the massage. Our two favorites are: » Regency Taipan Recently opened on the first floor of a residential building on the eastern side of the Third Ring, this is probably one of the best places to get a massage in all of China (except, of course, for the spas in the country's most luxurious hotels). Regency Taipan is part of a well-known chain with locations in Shanghai and Macau.
All of the single and double rooms are equipped with a massage table, flat screen TV with cable, DVD player for those who wish to bring along their own movies and incredibly comfortable reclining sofas to lounge on while you enjoy a refreshing apple and aloe vera juice or squash soup. » 99 Massage & Spa Center
All of the center’s 30 massage therapists are graduates of professional massage schools and have at least two years’ training in their field. Since over 80 percent of the center’s clients are executives from international corporations with nearby branches, most of the staff speaks English. And for after your treatment? In addition to coffee, salads and classic international fare, the menu features Chinese specialties like Yanzhou fried rice, noodles and dumplings. LAN Flights: Every day from Santiago, Chile, to Frankfurt. Connections to Beijing from Frankfurt. Beijing: 1. The Lama Temple 2. The Summer Palace 3. The Temple of Heaven 4. The Forbidden City where to Eat 5. Hou Hai 6. Quan Ju De where to shop 7. Silk Market 8. Panjiayuan Antique Market where to stay 9. Novotel Peace Beijing 10. The Peninsula Palace Beijing massage therapy 11. Regency Taipan Massage 12. 99 Massage & Spa Center Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week Recuadro If you are doing business in China, it may be useful to learn a little about the culture. The Hutong Cultural Center offers half-day courses on the basic principles of traditional Chinese medicine, the culture of tea and Asian cuisine. The Center is run by an Australian whose fascination with Chinese culture inspired him to move to Beijing five years ago. MORE information www.the-hutong.com / Tel. 86-10-8915-3613
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While not all of the receptionists speak English, the massage menu has been translated, and the attentive staff ensures that everything flows nicely. The center offers 15 treatments, including reflexology, traditional Chinese massage, Swedish massage and hot stone massage, as well as hydrating facials and manicures. There are also tempting packages like the Corporeal Symphony, which combines 90 minutes of reflexology with a 60-minute full body massage for 276 RMB (about US$40). It takes just a few minutes to become a member and obtain a 20 percent discount on treatments and a 40 percent discount on foot massages before 6 p.m. 
This Central Business District salon specializes in aromatherapy. Clients select from the 20 essential oils to be used during the massage or a relaxing soak in a wooden hot tub. Nearly all the rooms of the 11,000-square-foot spa are equipped with a sauna, massage table and hot tub for aromatherapy baths. 
