Morning — at the clinic
The morning is spent at a licensed traditional Chinese medicine clinic in Beijing, where you have an appointment with a practitioner registered in China. The consultation follows the classical structure: the pulse is taken at three positions on each wrist, the tongue is examined, and you are asked about sleep, appetite, digestion, energy through the day and how you respond to heat and cold. From this the practitioner works out a body-constitution assessment - the standard classification uses nine broad types - and explains what the assessment is based on. This is a wellness and cultural experience, not a diagnostic service: no disease is diagnosed, no treatment plan is issued, and no advice is given about any medicine you are already taking.
Late morning — one treatment session
What follows is one session, chosen from what the practitioner suggests and what you are comfortable with. Tuina is a firm, clothed, oil-free therapeutic massage worked along the meridians; acupuncture uses fine needles at points on the limbs and back; moxibustion warms points with a burning herb; cupping and gua sha leave marks that fade within a few days. Most guests choose tuina or a herbal foot soak, and those who want needles should say so when you book, because it changes the appointment. The session lasts about an hour. Afterwards there is a herbal tea tasting - chrysanthemum, goji berry, dried tangerine peel, red date, rose bud - with an explanation of how each is used in ordinary daily drinking rather than as medicine.
Lunch — herbal cuisine
Lunch is a mild meal of the kind sometimes called yao shan, or medicinal cooking: chicken soup with Chinese yam and goji, steamed lily bulb, lotus root, black fungus, steamed fish and rice. It is ordinary, well-made southern-style food with a few ingredients chosen for their place in the tradition, and it will not be the strangest meal of your trip. Tell the kitchen in advance if you would rather have it plainer, and if you dislike any dish on the table it will be replaced without comment; nothing here is presented as a treatment or needs to be eaten for a reason.
Afternoon — the hutongs and Shichahai at a slow pace
The afternoon is spent on foot in the lanes north of the Forbidden City, at the same unhurried pace as the morning. You begin at Nanluoguxiang, a hutong laid out in the Yuan dynasty and still running its old line between siheyuan courtyards, then walk west toward Shichahai, the three linked lakes - Qianhai, Houhai and Xihai - that the old city grew up around. The route is level and broken into short stretches, with benches at the water and a courtyard cafe whenever you want to sit down; a rickshaw can cover part of it if you would rather not walk the whole way. The interest is in the ordinary life of the lanes rather than in any single sight - doorways, bicycle repair stalls, the shop where the neighborhood buys its noodles. Your guide keeps the walking to about two hours in total.
Evening — dinner and an early night
Return to the hotel and eat dinner nearby, at a restaurant within walking distance rather than across the city. Keep the evening short: tomorrow is a lighter cultural day, with the Temple of Heaven and a tea ceremony, and it starts mid-morning rather than early. Your guide will confirm the timing at dinner and can move everything an hour later if you would prefer. If you would rather eat at the hotel, the kitchen will prepare a plain set of dishes - steamed fish, a clear soup and greens - with a day's notice, and room service can be arranged for an early meal.
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
In Beijing.
