The Qinghua Spa opened in 1905 and was originally located at the south end of Qianmen. [Photo Courtesy of Qinghua Spa]

The first floor of the Qinghua Spa features cubicles where guests can have foot ailments cared for efficiently.[Photo Courtesy of Qinghua Spa]

Beijing has no shortage of spas for rest and relaxation, but one spa founded during the Qing dynasty offers foot care that once catered to the needs of imperial officials.

Founded in 1905 and originally located at the south end of Qianmen, Qinghua Spa was a favorite after-work stop for imperial officials seeking a warm bath and massage after a long day at the palace. The spa's management noticed these imperial officials had many foot ailments resulting from special wooden shoes they were required to wear inside the Forbidden City. People with foot ailments, such as corns, calluses, and toenail problems, commonly sought help from foot care specialists who set up shop on the side of the road. For palace officials, exposing their disfigured feet on a bench in public would be embarrassing and taboo. To serve these palace officials, as well as other wealthy clients, the Qinghua Spa invited well-known foot care specialists to practice inside the spa.

These foot care practices continue today at Qinghua Spa's current Hufang Road location, in the Xuanwu district. In fact, their foot care methods are listed as part of China's "Intangible Cultural Heritage." Their practices have evolved over time, with medical remedies made in-house. The treatments differ from what one would find in local hospitals. For example, a hospital would commonly remove a diseased toenail, while technicians at the Qinghua Spa have a procedure performed on the nail every other day for two weeks, which involves the thinning of the nail and application of medicine, saving the patient the pain of losing the nail. These technicians are trained through rigorous apprenticeship and testing, but no textbooks have been established.

Despite that the most senior technician at the spa is recognized as an expert in the field by the Chinese government and receives a government pension, few young apprentices are looking to join due to the unappetizing nature of the job. To preserve practices, Spa Director Ms. Wang introduced a new recruitment program. Young graduates with degrees in pharmacy are promised a 6,000 per month salary after training, more than double what most new graduates earn. She hopes their medical knowledge will be useful and that their education will aid in creating textbooks in the future. In addition to pharmacy degrees, she looks for applicants who are patient and empathetic. Out of a pool of 120 applicants, 10 were selected as new apprentices.