Imperial stomping ground
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The second floor of the Qinghua Spa is comprised of private rooms for foot care procedures.[Photo Courtesy of Qinghua Spa] |
The Qinghua Spa still offers warm baths on the basement level, with private bathing rooms provided for guests.
The third floor features a buffet and rest area. Ms. Wang explained it's important to eat before massage services, "Massages increase blood flow. If you have a massage on an empty stomach, your blood sugar may drop and make you feel dizzy or faint." After a relaxing massage, guests can pass the time on recliners with individual television sets. Spa packages include the buffet starting at 150 yuan.
The upper floors are dedicated to massage and other traditional Chinese spa services, including cupping. These services are conducted in comfortable private rooms with private bathrooms. The masseuses here are trained to massage both feet at the same time, in order to avoid one foot's muscles getting cold while the other one is being massaged. Individual massage services start at 68 yuan. The price menu for these services includes brief English descriptions.
Overall, the Qinghua spa faces stiff competition with other spas in Beijing, though the massive scale of this spa and wide range of services ensure that everyone can relax. However, if your feet have a problem that a pedicure can't fix, and seeing the doctor makes you feel squeamish, do like the Qing dynasty officials and seek out one of the Qinghua Spa's foot care specialists.
