Roaming in relaxation
By Kent Hill
Photos by Lily



Atmosphere
Have you ever wondered what all this Chinese traditional massage and medicine is all about? Then you should check out the newly opened massage and relaxation center, Zhen Yuan Tang(振元堂), on the second floor of Di Hao Da Sha(帝豪大厦) in the back of the City Trend Fitness Center. During mid-February the massage parlor merged with the gym to create the first traditional Chinese massage parlor in Xiamen certified by some Chinese medicine health organization(中医保健机构). They offer traditional Chinese foot and body massage along with cupping and cupping with oil. So no matter whether you simply need to relax after a long day at work or if you have a medical problem and want to seek alternative medicinal treatments then I'm sure that one of the fully qualified and certified masseuses working there can help you find whatever you are looking for.

As soon as you enter the back area of the gym you are instantly swooped away into a clean and calm dream. As you walk down the corridor with modern texturing on the walls, towards the main desk you see many cozy individual rooms with doors wide open welcoming you into relaxation. It's obvious, even after only a quick glance that the level of hygiene(卫生) in the rooms is extremely high. All the sheets, upholstery(座椅套), walls and towels inside each of the rooms are a beautiful bright white. As you approach the front desk you can definitely tell that it is a very professional place.

Every practicing masseuse in the facility has studied massage and Chinese medicine at a Chinese medical college or university for a minimum of three years. This is a much different situation than most massage parlors you come into contact with around Xiamen where the employees are usually only trained for a couple months or even less in some cases. If you come to this particular massage parlor you can be guaranteed that your masseur or masseuse is qualified to perform Chinese massage and various other types of alternative medical procedures.



Methods of Massage
During my visit I chose the body massage option because I had been suffering from lower back pain for a few weeks prior. It surprised me that my masseur started by massaging the area above my eyes considering that I had already told him about my back problems. However he informed me that the points around my eyes that he was focusing on would help to improve my vision. Feeling waves of relaxation pouring over my head from mysterious points around my eyes was a first for me and quite nice really.

Then without interrupting the massage he used perfectly smooth and fluid circular movements changing the point of concentration to my temples. The masseur told me that rubbing this area correctly could help with fatigue and headaches. Actually, I didn't realize I even had a headache until the pain in my head that I was previously unaware of began to decrease quickly and dramatically. I could feel his experienced fingers deliberately selecting specific points around my temples, helping me take more seriously what the general manager had told me about the staffs' qualifications.

Next he began to focus the massage on the lower parts of my eyes, which he told me would help improve my quality of sleep. I was really happy to hear this, considering that my sleep hadn't been very good for the past few days. While he continued to rub my right eye he reached around to my neck and surveyed it a bit with his free hand. He proceeded to massage my right eye while he grabbed a few cloth bags of fragrant Chinese herbs. He placed one steaming hot bag under my neck and two more under the arch of my back. Even though the bags' temperature was quite high, it felt as though the medicine was cooling my skin in a way.

My masseur then began work on my shoulders, which were in even more need of a massage than I had realized. I could feel the tension leaving my shoulders and traveling half way down my back in waves that were in rhythm with the kneading of his hands. He asked me to relax my neck and then he rolled my head around with his hands, loosening and stretching the tenseness out of the muscle.

With my neck placed back onto the heated medicinal pillow he moved onto my arms using stretching and rubbing techniques to gently and effectively take my arms to a whole new sensation of feeling very light and relaxed. Then he flipped me over onto my front-side and placed the bags of medicine onto my lower back and neck. He went on to work the middle of my back getting all the knots out between my ribs while occasionally moving up my spine towards my neck and shoulders. When he came across a specifically stiff area he would use his elbow or forearm to give some additional help in getting the tension out.

After a quick full rub down of my back and a light pleasant pounding he left me alone in the room for a few minutes. Even though he was only gone a short while I was so relaxed that I nearly fell asleep just lying there.

The massage was great, the staff were all friendly and helpful, especially the general manager who spoke fluent English, the tea was sweet and the cupping was definitely a worth while experience which will leave me with many stories to tell. So go check it out and don't forget to enjoy the forty percent discount between twelve and two o'clock so you need only RMB 36.