Chongqing takes foot massage seriously. The city has an enormous number of shops, from plain neighbourhood rooms with a dozen chairs to multi-floor establishments with private suites, and they are used by ordinary residents as a routine way to end a day rather than as a treat for visitors. The practice is Chinese rather than specifically local - it comes out of the traditional medicine idea that the soles of the feet map onto the organs of the body - but the density of shops and the low prices are particular to this part of China.
What a session is like
You sit or lie in a reclining chair, your feet go into a basin of hot water with herbs, and an attendant works over the feet, ankles and lower legs with thumbs and knuckles for forty minutes to an hour. The pressure is firm and sometimes painful on the arches and the heel, and the point is partly therapeutic and partly simply pleasant; regular customers have a preferred attendant and a preferred strength. Most shops include the rest of the body as an option - head, neck, shoulders, back - and many combine the massage with cupping, scraping or a warm compress. Tea, fruit and small snacks are usually provided, and many places have private rooms with a bed for a longer session or a nap.
Etiquette and expectations
Take off your shoes at the door, and expect loose trousers to be rolled up or a disposable pair of shorts to be provided. Socks are optional. Conversation is not necessary; attendants mostly work in silence or with the television on, and tipping is not customary. Sessions are booked by duration and are paid at the end, usually by mobile. It is worth checking whether the price quoted covers the whole session or is per hour on a sliding scale, and it is entirely normal to ask for less pressure.
Practical notes
Chongqing's foot massage shops are on almost every commercial street and are open late, often until two or three in the morning, which makes them a natural end to an evening. Prices are low by international standards; the expensive establishments are more about the room than the treatment, and the mid-range shops are generally excellent value. Anyone with circulatory problems, recent injuries or diabetes should be cautious with the harder techniques. If you want the fuller version of the experience, look for a bathhouse that combines the massage with a sauna and a hot pool.
