Ever wished for a foot massage from an eager-to-please man at the end of a long day? Then a trip to a Beijing spa will tickle your fancy–and your toes. Reflexology (traditional foot massage) is all the rage here (a welcome indulgence after traversing Tiananmen Square in Jimmy Choos), and the tradition of yin yang philosophy dictates that if you're a woman, you'll be attended by a male masseuse in order to balance masculine/feminine energies. Better still, you (and a friend or two–group massages are often available) will boost your qi–without draining your wallet. Even high-end spas in Beijing are cheaper than their American and European counterparts.

Since modern spa culture is relatively new to China, spa choices line up along their own yin yang of East and West. Expats typically frequent luxurious Western-style hotel spas which boast steam rooms, saunas, and Jacuzzis. Our pick of this litter is the Ritz-Carlton Spa at Beijing, Financial Street, which occupies an entire floor of the hotel with its serene treatment rooms and avant-garde pool. If you really want to escape the hubbub of Beijing, make like the Empress Dowager and head to the Summer Palace, once a retreat for Qing Dynasty royals looking to cool off during Beijing's baking summers. Today, adjacent to the Palace grounds, the Aman Spa at Aman at Summer Palace hotel boasts well-appointed amenities like double treatment suites, an indoor lap pool, fitness facilities, and a juice bar while incorporating Chinese techniques into massages and other holistic body treatments.

Though the Aman Spa has its own beauty and hair salon, in general decent specialty services like blow outs and nail care are still hard to come by outside of hotels. (One notable exception: Lovely Nails in Sanlitun gives a great, long-lasting mani.) And the dedicated Pilates/yoga room at the Aman is a sign of yoga's widening following in this city. If you're a diehard yogi, get your om on at Yoga Yard. This studio's focused offerings, central location in Sanlitun, and Chinese-English bilingual staff have made it a favorite of expats and locals alike.

Standalone spas like Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat don’t offer such Western amenities, but you’ll get a more local experience at a third of the cost, plus a wide menu of massages like Chinese tui na. Translated as "poke-pinch," it'll lube your joints with rhythmic compression and, drawing from martial arts principles, maybe even a little kung fu. True, you'll see tui na practitioners set up shop on Beijing street corners, but you might be a touch more comfortable in a spa retreat removed from ubiquitous honking taxis and suicidal bicyclists. Grounded in the Chinese medical approach of treating the body as a complete system, local spas include soothing touches such as trickling water and aromatherapy. Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat even offers the "Top to Toe" massage, with two masseuses working on your head/shoulders/arms and feet simultaneously. Now that’s what we call whole body healing.

Photo of Aman Spa at Aman at Summer Palace courtesy of Aman Spa at Aman at Summer Palace