Asia Is Ready For
Wellness
Spa Lady Windy Yang
Taipei, Taiwan
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2.
3.
4.
SPA in Chinese
Post SARS Century --- Asia is Ready For Wellness SPA
Asian Women, the Leading Spa Ladies in the World
‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’
Taiwan SPA Touch Your Heart
VCD PRESENTATION (3 minutes)
“Hello Taiwan –Spa Lady’s Taiwan Hot Springs SPA Tour”
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6.
Spa Lady’s Onsen Love Stories
Taiwan ONSEN/SPA History (in brief)
Saturday, June 28, 2003
Windy Yang
楊 麗芳
Windy, Lih-Fang YANG, also known as Spa Lady
Travel writer‧Gourmet writer
Speaker as Hot Springs SPA Culture Promoter
Member, SKAL Club (Travel)
Member, Chaine des Rotisseurs (Gourmet)
www.SPALADY.com.tw
windy@spaladay.com.tw
1.
SPA in Chinese
SPA nowadays has more than a dozen categories such as Club Spa, City Spa,
Day Spa, Hotel Spa, Cruise Ship Spa, Destination Spa, Holistic Spa, Medical
Spa, Mineral Springs Spa, Resort Spa, Sports/Adventure Spa, Structured Spa
and Home Spa.
The International SPA Association（ISPA）defines the SPA experience as "your
time to relax, reflect, revitalize, and rejoice."
‘SPA’ has quite an interesting meaning when pronounced in Chinese. SPA
sounds like ‘to die’ in Mandarin, surprisingly reflecting the Western description of
SPA as a nice therapeutic place, and ‘a room to die for (dying for the comfort and
relaxation)’.
SPA also sounds like the number ‘18’
（Eighteen）
in Mandarin. A very popular old
Chinese song is entitled “18 (SPA) Girl Is A Flower（十八姑娘一朵花）”. It
embodies our SPA concept - ‘Go SPA, keep you always SPA (18)’!
2.
Post SARS Century --- Asia is Ready For Wellness SPA
Since last March, the SARS epidemic has severely affected several countries in
Asia and beyond: China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore and Taiwan and
extending to the Chinese society in Canada. It seems that the “東亞病夫”(Asian
Patients) are still feeble, not strong enough to fight against the virus.
From a western doctor’s point of view, Chinese take too much medicine for
curing the disease. Well, DISEASE, the term itself means “dis-ease”, Chinese
work too diligently and do not spend enough time to relax or refresh our bodies.
Simply put, we don’t know how to ease the stress and pressure and just continue
our daily routines. We instead overtax our lives. The over-consumption of pills,
powders, and “professionals” has thus become a great problem in Chinese
society. Chinese will go to the doctor, the hospital or even non-doctor at home, or
someone charismatic seeking quick alleviation of our daily aches and pains.
Over-dosing can easily weaken our immune system; too much medication
interferes with the body’s natural self-healing function.
Singapore and Hong Kong’s Wellness Spa Industry stands profits a lot after the
SARS storm has blown over as more and more people realize the importance
and necessity of a good quality of life and a healthy body. You can almost hear
the rush…as people go first to the fitness center and sports complex to shape
their bodies, and then to the spa saloons and resort spa on holidays to continue
the process and to massage their mental and spiritual selves as well. The SPA
Wellness Industry has flourished in Asian markets in the past few years, as has
the CAM Therapy which are used in addition to traditional western medicine is
now pretty “in’ in Asian Wellness SPA Industry. Each CAM (Complementary and
Alternative Medicine) therapy has its own distinct theory and practice, and many
practitioners combine elements of more than one CAM in their treatments. In the
United States, estimates indicate that there are about 90 commonly used CAM
therapies. Some examples of CAM therapies are: Aromatherapy, Hydrotherapy,
Hot & Cold Therapy, Music Therapy, Massage Therapy, Acupressure Therapy,
Color Therapy, Body Mind Therapy, Breathing Therapy, Homeopathy, Dr. Bach
(Flower) Remedy, Herbalism, Moor Therapy, Naturopathy, Nutritional Therapy,
Indigenous Therapy and Chiropractic Therapies. Back to nature’s way of remedy
is becoming more and more popular in Asia, especially in Singapore and Taiwan.
Before coming to Malaysia, I visited my most favorite City Spa in Taipei, the
Danger Figure Spa, which uses all the natural elements in attending any single
Spa-hunter in the most natural way. I found the therapists are very well trained
and they spend more time talking to you in order to study your body situation so
that they can offer the tailor-made therapies for each individual guest. Also I
heard that their Day Spa business has increased 20 per cent all because of
SARS. SPA had already become a popular marketing ‘term’ and ‘institution’
across Asia. Hair Spa, Foot Spa, Face Spa, Mood Spa, Mind Spa, Food Spa, and
so on… SPA, no longer just refers to a beauty and health center, SPA is also
stands for ‘beauty, calmness, tranquility, and wellness’. Coupled with anything
‘SPA’ seems to be popular and fashionable.
’Amazing Thailand’ has a great reputation as a ‘Spa Paradise’, we were just told
by Sarah who represents the top spa Chiva Som in Thailand. And Malaysia, ‘the
Truly Asia’, has one of the world most famous Pangkor Laut Resort where
Pavarotti has stayed and sung on the Island a few times. I just came back from
their Spa Village, and I strongly recommend to every one of you that you go there
as well so you can imagine how nice it is to be ‘SPA’ (18) again! Remember the
Chinese for SPA? You will feel young and you will feel great, a true paradise.
Japan, the so-called Onsen(hot spring) Kingdom, is a country famous for its
people’s tremendously clean bathing habits and customs. I’ve known the
Japanese Onsen for the past 23 years and I’ve come to love the Japanese way
of taking bath naturally. In Japan, there are over 120million people going to
Onsen for their bath. SPA’s seldom get good attention in Japan because the
Japanese like to take baths in the big bathrooms where they can meet friends,
and enjoy the expansive space. But this year, in Tokyo, Mori Kanko Trust just
opened the “Indonesian Royal Spa”, and this coming July, the Northeastern
District’s most famous Ski Resort Zao cooperating with Tamansari Royal Spa, is
going to have the best hotel resort SPA in Japan. So even the traditional Japan
Onsen Industry is facing the fact that combining SPA and creating the ‘Healing
Onsen SPA’ will be the main trend in this Century.
There are approximately 200 spa centers scattered across Indonesia, the
second largest number of spas in any one country after the US. The best-known
Indonesian spa treatment is traditional massage or aromatherapy. Indonesian
massage usually uses traditional herbal cosmetics ‘JAMU’, for example, the
Lurlur is so well known especially to young Japanese and Taiwanese girls.
3.
Asian Women, the Leading Spa Ladies in the World
Asian women have changed a lot in the past century, especially the so-called
‘House Cooking Wives’, are now paying more attention to themselves besides
their love ones because they have started to realize how important it is to keep
themselves pretty, healthy, and maintain a high quality life.
Showing the body naked was barely accepted except when taking a bath, and for
Asians, taking a bath is very personal matter. For Chinese, even the husband
and wife don’t take bath together. Well, some Japanese like ‘mixed bath’. I
personally like Japanese KONYOKU (mixed bath), as I’m a modern Asian!
In ancient times, Asian women used to stay at home all day, you could hardly see
them outside. If you did, they might hide their face behind a ‘mask’ before SARS
brought this new ‘mask fashion’ to Asia. For Pernanakan, Malaysian Chinese, the
ladies stayed on the second floor and peeped through special pigeonhole to see
what’s going on downstairs. Thanks to the liberation and western education that
Asian women have started to think and fight for our own ‘free skies’. Asian
women now are independent, self-supporting, confident, industrious and also
curious. So the ‘ROOM’ which utilizes water as the basic ingredient and source
of energy, offering rejuvenation of both body and soul has become the retreat for
the Asian career women, housewives or even young couples. Gentlemen’s SPA
is also quite well taken cared of in Asia. Because Asian cultures are strongly
recognized as ‘Male Chauvinistic’, Asian men used to get special attendants
while taking a bath for pleasure. Nowadays, due to the market demand, the
Wellness SPA Industry caters more for ladies than for gentlemen. The pampering,
rejuvenating, nurturing, caring, and calming way of Wellness SPA has caught the
keen attention of both men and women around the world and in extreme growing
numbers in Asia.
The Wellness SPA Industry, with the knowledge and technology of helping
people to maintain a balance of body, soul and mind, is becoming the most
shining STAR INDUSTRY in this century. Behind the curtain of these superb
Wellness facilities, a lot of important Asian ladies are taking the lead. Women like
Ibu Martha Tilaar, Ibu Mooryati Sudibyo of Indonesia. They are renowned Asian
Spa Ladies. Most Asian women now agree that beauty is not just a matter of
outer looks but also of inner beauty. So, even the concept of ‘BEAUTY’ has
changed. A lot of internationally famous brand of cosmetic items may help
women’s skin look smoother or younger, but there has been a growing trend
recently of turning to traditional treatments that use less chemical materials. The
same theory like CAM.
4.
‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’, Taiwan SPA Touch Your Heart
One can never figure out how great and deep SPA is rooted in Taiwan. Name any
kind of SPA therapy, La Stone, Thalasso, Ayurveda, Reflexology, or even the
CAM, you will find them there conducted in a very professional way. Taiwanese
SPA combines our abundant hot spring waters along with unique ‘MIT’（made in
Taiwan） hot spring＋SPA therapy. Taiwan’s SPA industry has grown by more
than you can imagine. Like Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning movie ‘Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon’, Taiwan SPA experts with special ‘Kong-Fu’ are hidden in almost
every corner on this beautiful island called ‘Formosa’. More than that, as
convenient as 7-Eleven, you can always get yourself pampered around the clock
because some Taiwan SPA are open 24 hours. World class Day SPA, Hotel SPA,
Resort SPA, even more, ladies are pretty ‘in’ with their ‘Home Spa’. Taiwan SPA
industry is new yet significantly ‘crucial’ in the SPA world—a gateway to China, a
runner-up to any SPA paradise.
As a journalist specializing on ‘BATHING’, I will take a little bit of time to tell you
about the Onsen Boom in my own country -- Taiwan.
“PAO-TANG” is now the most popular relaxation activity in Taiwan.
”PAO-TANG”（泡湯）is a Chinese way of expressing “Get into Onsen(bath)”.
Taiwan has more than 130 natural hot springs. Many Japanese were surprised to
learn that Taiwan has excellent hot spring facilities. Yes, thanks to everything that
Japanese Onsen taught us, Taiwan has adopted the concept of Japanese Onsen
and combined with Western SPA set-ups creating a great ‘hardware’ of
Onsen/SPA facilities. From Northern Wu Lai, Chiao- Hsi hot spring towns to the
Eastern Taitung to Southern Pintung, from Kurhaus-like SPA pools to rock
‘Rotenburo’ (Japan style open-aired bath), and now the most ‘in’ style is the
so-called ‘family bathroom’ where Onsen lovers can bathe in the most natural
way with family members or friends and enjoy privacy. The most deluxe family
bath can cost about 100 US dollars for bathing just an hour, afterwards,
pampering oneself in either traditional or creative SPA therapy. The role that
bathing plays within a culture reveals the culture's attitude towards human
relaxation. It is a measure of how far individual well-being is regarded as an
indispensable part of community life.
VCD PRESENTATION (3 minutes)
“Hello Taiwan –Spa Lady’s Taiwan Onsen/SPA Tour”
View VCD On-line at http://www.pts.org.tw/~web02/hello/p3.htm
5.
Spa Lady’s Onsen Love Stories
I first visited an Onsen in Hokkaido, Japan twenty years ago and knew right there
and then that I wanted to travel and discover more of these magical spas. As a
non-Japanese speaker, traveling to remote countryside destinations without a
guide wasn’t easy, so I undertook the difficult task of learning Japanese and now
I find myself fully equipped to embark on my annual quest to find a new Onsen
lover! The rest of the year is spent paying calls to some old haunts to refresh my
relationship with them or venturing into Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Indonesia
and Korea to discover Onsen foreign cousins. In spring 1999, firmly determined
to understand the ins and outs of a successful Onsen resort, I traveled to
Tsukioka Onsen and Senami Onsen in Niigata and Kusatsu Onsen and Ikaho
Onsen in Gunma Prefecture to learn the secrets (tricks) of this traditional trade. I
left behind my pen and ink to join the staff and experience a new life of living in
dormitories, serving, bowing and kneeling to customers, in the age-old tradition
of Onsen Ryokan. I learned that quiet and attentive service in a relaxed
environment creates the onsen experience and I realized that this is attained by
the silent dedication of the staff enduring hardship to create this magic.
(View Spa Lady Onsen Love Stories at http://www.spalady.com.tw/english/page2_01.htm)
6.
Taiwan ONSEN/SPA History (in brief)
1894－German merchant Ouly discovered Taiwan hot spring in Pei-tou
1896－Japanese Osaka merchant Gengo Hirata established the first Onsen Ryokan in
Taiwan called ‘Ten-Gu-Ang’.
1979－Government lift the outbound travel ban for Taiwanese, a great numbers traveled
to visit and enjoy Japan Onsen resorts and also the SPA in Europe.
1989－Taiwan very first Spa ‘Danger Figure’ originally based in Canada, established by
Taiwanese, is the largest professional Spa operator serving the Chinese market.
1992－Taiwan’s first five star hot spring spa resort ‘Royal Chihpeng Spa Hotel’ opened
and created a boom and need for higher level spa accommodation and facilities
1998－Taiwan implemented ‘two days rest a week’ system, which brought a great boom
to the Taiwan’s Onsen industry; Taipei super deluxe Onsen Spa Hotel ‘Spring Hotel’
opened in May; Taiwan Hot Spring Spa Museum opened on 31st of October, under the
auspices of the Taipei City Government.
1999－Taiwan started ‘Onsen Tourism Year’, Pao Tang really boomed; During Sprng in
April, Spa Lady went to Japan for her two months study and real performance as
nakai-san and Okami in Japanese top ranking Ryokan
2001－Taiwan first SPA tourism train ‘Onsen Princess’ transports Onsen/SPA seekers
from Taipei to Chihpeng Onsen in the Eastern Taiwan.
2002－February, Taiwan most advanced SPA ‘Orient SPA’ flagship opened in Peitou,
prompting more and more international level SPAs to open, many of which are now
based in Taiwan’s five star hotels.
2003－ In April, the first international Spa ‘Angsana Resort and Spa’ under the ‘Banyan
Tree’ umbrella opened in Tiger City Shopping Center in Taichung, center city of Taiwan.
2003－ In April, First international Spa ‘Angsana Resort and Spa’ under the ‘Banyan
Tree’ umbrella opened in Tiger City Shopping Center in Taichung, located on the central
west coast of Taiwan.
2003－ ISPA Asia-Pacific Summit to be held from August 29th to 31st at TICC (Taipei
International Convention Center) in Taipei, Taiwan. (Spa Lady Windy is one of the speakers.)
2003－ The 17th International Travel Expo Hong Kong (ITE HK 2003) will be held on
September 25 – 28 at Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center. The theme of the
travel seminar is ‘SPA’. (Taiwanese Spa Lady will be the keynote speaker at SPA seminar.)