Beijing, China -

ou've gone without hot water for two weeks in darkest Yunnan, you've slept under the stars in Tibet, you've just stepped off a 36-hour train from Chengdu, and when someone says 'pedicure' you ask which part of a yak they're talking about. Roughing it is as good for the budget as it is for the soul, but what's a China traveller to do when the grime just gets too much? Head to the capital for some serious beauty therapy, of course.

The market for health, beauty and relaxation treatments in China has exploded. The revenue generated from the beauty industry alone has risen 15 per cent year on year since the mid-1980s, and is now valued at around RMB 168 billion (USD 20.3 billion) per annum. In Beijing, every shopping mall in the city, from the chic and miniature to the massive and extortionate, boasts an equally glossy hair and beauty salon, and discerning ladies – and indeed gents – no longer check into hotels without checking out the spa and facial facilities first. But luxury in the capital is no longer the preserve of the rich. On every street corner there are massage boutiques and nail emporiums; where noodle stands were once ubiquitous, hairdressers sit in their place.

As the city gets richer, and leisure time becomes more abundant, Beijingers are increasingly enjoying a lifestyle in which personal grooming features more as part of a daily routine than as a luxurious treat. According to a 2005 survey conducted by the Cosmetology Chamber of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, the industry employs a healthy 16 million people, with the average citizen in the capital spending almost RMB 30 a month on beauty treatments.

All of which is splendid news for weary travellers in need of a little rest and relaxation. Whether you've managed to snatch an hour between a class on Chinese cooking and a whirlwind tour of the antique market, or you have a leisurely few days to really let your hair down, there's something in Beijing to suit everyone – whatever your time, budget and even pain threshold. From Ayurvedic massage to acupuncture, gua xia to green highlights, you need only arm yourself with a map and a couple of phone numbers, or indeed a well informed taxi driver, to emerge from Beijing's shabbiest hutongs feeling like the Empress Cixi herself.

The Full Monty
For the ultimate indulgence, there is no question: go for the works at one of Beijing's luxury spas. The St. Regis Spa at the St. Regis hotel is by far the most upmarket of the available options, although expect to pay handsomely for the privilege of wallowing in a spa fed by its own private hot spring. A personal profile is created for each guest as they arrive, with treatments tailored to suit. Then, choose from a range of anti-oxidizing facials – perfect for dry Beijing skin – or body wraps, salt scrubs and mud treatments, to free your body and mind from the dust, grime and stresses of the city. Each individual treatment costs in the region of RMB 600 and up, however, so make your choices carefully.

Thai Me Up
Bodhi Therapeutic Retreat is a welcome step down the price ladder, but definitely on an equal footing with the St Regis in terms of service and atmosphere. Friendly staff present patrons with a set of freshly laundered Indian cotton pyjamas, then guide you through three floors of subtly lit private massage rooms dotted with leafy plants and soothing water features. All is quiet and relaxing – the only sounds are soft moans of pleasure coming from the clients and from time to time an intriguing giggle from one of the many, tiny Thai staff who flit in and out of the massage chambers. Unique to Bodhi in Beijing is the Thai herbal heat treatment, which manager Michelle Hemsin says first gained popularity with weary soldiers in the Thai-Burmese war. The treatment, in which a steamed cotton poultice of plai root, turmeric, bergamot peel, camphor and lemongrass is applied after a massage, remains extremely popular with women post-childbirth, as well as with everyday clients as a special treat for aching muscles. Seventy-five minutes of this heavenly indulgence will lighten your backpack by RMB 238.

Chinese Massage
The massage tradition in China is thousands of years old, and it has informed nearly every other form of treatment since. Used by doctors, Taoists, Buddhists, martial arts experts, concubines and yoga masters alike, the preventative benefits of regular massage, according to most Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners, cannot be overstated. All Chinese massage is based on the jing luo theory, in which the body is a series of channels that transport blood and qi (energy). Massaging the channels, and manipulating particular acu-points on the body, allow qi to flow properly, thus regulating the organs, freeing the respiratory and digestive systems of internal pressure, and restoring harmony to the body's yin and yang. For those in the back row waving their arms and dismissing this as pseudo science, the pleasurable, relaxing aspect of massage is the same whether you view it as a one-way ticket to spiritual and physical nirvana or not.

In Beijing, the term 'medicinal massage' can be applied to an enormous range of experiences – from the spotlessly clean, invigorating and physically beneficial, to the downright dodgy and morally corrupting. Blind masseurs are much feted for their finely tuned sense of the body's natural rhythms, and can be found at reputable establishments all over the city. Aibosen Blindman Massage has a number of clean, safe and friendly Beijing branches, where 50 minutes of body massage will set you back a mere RMB 88. Although the staff don't speak English, the words teng and bu teng (sore, not sore) are virtually all you'll need. Foot massage is a realm in itself in China, with the medicinal variety working on the premise that the foot houses acu-points for the whole of the rest of the body. Thus, manipulation of the feet can diagnose and remedy illnesses from feverish feelings to fractured fingers. With a number of branches, Tianhe Liangzi has some of the city's most reputable foot massage masters. Ninety minutes of treatment here is RMB 138 at peak times, and RMB 68 during quieter spells.

It's worth also noting that much smaller massage houses, both foot, body and medicinal, accompany almost every residential apartment block in the city. Keep your eyes peeled, and an hour of therapy can be yours for less than RMB 25 – providing fluorescent strip lighting and the occasional offer of an 'extra' service won't put you off too much.

Treats for Hands and Feet
Although one of the simplest services on offer, the sheer decadence of having someone else paint your toenails somehow makes it more blatantly indulgent than even the most elaborate of beauty treatments. Manicure and pedicure offer the fastest ticket to feeling like a goddess in the city, and beginning at around RMB 30, are surely among the cheapest.

The best time to indulge is undoubtedly when you feel as though you have no time at all to spare. Stealing an hour from a frazzled day of last minute shopping or sightseeing can be as restful as a good night's sleep. So, if you're hoarse from bargaining and laden with more bags of knock offs than a Silk Alley stall holder, take the weight off for an hour and stop in at one of Beijing's modern-day institutions: the nail salon. Found in malls, residential blocks, hotels, newsagents and even people's living rooms, you'll never be stuck for a salon in the capital. For more elaborate designs and nail art, try well-known boutiques such as Nan Nan Nails, or any of the outlets on the fourth floor of Yashow Clothing Market.

Safety First
Although looking after your beauty needs is rarely an extreme sport, make responsible decisions on where to go for treatments. If you are in any doubt as to the cleanliness of premises or instruments, head elsewhere, or ask for materials, especially scissors, to be sterilised first. Avoid dimly lit alleys or massage shops at night too, unless the red lights and the promise of a 'hutong haircut' are what you're actually in the market for.

Above all else, enjoy. Who said travelling couldn't be done in style?