Taiwan Today

The image of the massage business has been enhanced greatly over the past decade, with skilled therapists now offering their services in pleasant surroundings.

Moving out of seedy barbershops serving as covers for the sex industry to brightly lit, ground-floor shops with large windows, 's massage industry has been successfully transformed. These days, people associate massage with therapy and relaxation.

"We spent NT$30 million (US$900,000) setting up our first shop in 2005," says Chiang Ching-chung , general manager of the . "We recouped our investment within three months, so we opened another two shops within a year. Currently, our monthly sales are about NT$12.5 million (US$380,000), 75 percent higher than last year. We plan to expand to 10 shops in from the current four within two years."

What is the secret of Chiang's business success? "For a long time, Taiwanese have been aware of the benefits of massage, but many chose to travel to Bali or , which are well known for their massage services," Chiang says. "So we spent two years conducting market surveys to find out why people chose to travel abroad for massage and formulated our operational plan accordingly. Our strong performance indicates that we are successfully catering to the public's preferences for massage services."

In the past, Chiang explains, massage was largely provided in barbershops with covered windows, dim lighting and poor ventilation. That service environment put off some patrons, particularly women.

To improve the industry's image and much-criticized service setting, Chiang pursued innovative changes in the design of his shops, service quality and personnel training. "Our shops are bright and clean, designed to provide a natural setting," he says. "We endeavor to provide busy urbanites with an environment resembling a rural retreat with the use of plants, wooden furniture, air fresheners and devices that can produce the sound of flowing water."

Chiang's shops are also located at the ground-floor level on busy streets and have transparent windows, which help to lure passersby, who can clearly see what is happening inside.

Thirty years ago, massage services were generally provided by visually impaired massage therapists in hotel rooms or private homes. Service providers at the time were contacted by phone and worked independently. About 20 years ago, a few blind massage therapists began to set up shops jointly in a bid to move away from on-call services. However, due to limited funding, their venues usually looked shabby and were situated in upstairs offices in small alleys, away from most foot traffic.

Substantial Improvements

It was not until 10 years ago that the massage parlors operated by the blind saw substantial improvements, thanks to the Cultural and Educational Foundation for the Blind (CEFB).

"We're the first group that moved to modernize traditional massage services, and frankly speaking, we did it in a bid to survive intensified competition," says Cheng Long-shui, the foundation's chairman. "Accordingly, we began to adopt up-to-date business management principles and emphasize sanitation and comfort."

In 1995, CEFB set up a community-based massage center in and established standard operating procedures for its services. The center was given high marks by 's Department of Labor, the accrediting agency for the city's massage services, and was cited as a good model for the industry.

"While planning the massage center, we considered what changes we needed to make to reclaim the market taken over by barbershops, as well as reverse the stereotype of massage being associated with sexual services," Cheng says. "By offering quality service in a brightly lit environment, we tried to build a discernibly healthy image for our business."

Cheng says that while CEFB centers are not luxuriously appointed, they are cozy and clean. The Mincyuan outlet in , for example, was designed to resemble a Balinese villa and offers spa and shower facilities to help customers relax in body and mind.

The CEFB has established four outlets and plans to eventually open a total of 20 around the country. CEFB massage therapists also offer services in public places like airports, train stations and hospitals.

"The blind are endowed with a unique talent for massage because they have a more acute sense of touch and can better feel where the client's problem areas are," Cheng says. "In recent years, we have been striving to promote massage as a profession and, in turn, elevate its image in the public eye by hiring licensed therapists with advanced skills."

Massage is one of the oldest healing disciplines and its benefits for the body are widely recognized. Chen Chao-tsung, chairman of the Taipei Chinese Medical Association (TCMA), says that 3,000 years ago, Chinese practitioners already understood that massage could relieve ailments and had developed eight massage techniques--flapping, kneading, picking, pressing, pushing, rubbing, pinching and stretching--for use on specific parts of the body.

The massage therapy practiced in today has been passed down from generation to generation. "Massage is the application of soft-tissue manipulation techniques to the body," Chen explains. "It serves to alleviate chronic muscle pain in problem areas and aids in the healing process."

In the past few decades, Taiwanese have been obsessed with Western medicine, he says. However, they have also discovered that the quick cures that Western medicine offers are often accompanied by side effects. Because of this, an increasing number of patients have embraced traditional Chinese medicine. Based on the study of the flow of blood and energy through channels known in Chinese medicine as meridians and collaterals, traditional massage has become popular due to its non-invasive approach.

Massage is one of the options offered by Chinese medicine that can be used to treat, or complement the treatment of, conditions such as musculoskeletal and stress-related disorders of the digestive, respiratory and reproductive systems, Chen says. He normally combines it with aromatherapy, acupuncture or hot compresses when treating patients.

Massage can improve blood and lymph fluid flow, boosting the immune system, he says. The benefits of massage on health have been officially recognized by 's National Health Insurance Program, which covers the cost of massage given at Chinese medicine clinics and hospitals.

Massage Training

In addition to manipulation techniques, a qualified massage therapist must know Chinese medicine's acupuncture points, meridians and pathology, as well as Western medicine's anatomy, physiology and osteology, Chen says.

Meanwhile, staff members at Chiang's must take at least 500 hours of professional training and pass the company's exams before formally commencing their work. The center also invites university professors from sports, physiology and rehabilitation departments to serve as advisors.

"We combine the ancient theory of meridians and collaterals with modern studies on sports physiology to perform precision acupressure for a relaxing and healing experience," Chiang says. "We've also developed distinct guidelines for different age groups regarding the amount of physical pressure to be applied and which manipulation techniques should be used." Each of the center's massage therapists is required to undergo regular health checkups and receives occupational training in nutrition, psychology, the body's meridians and etiquette, as well as English and Japanese.

Those who wish to work at CEFB centers must study massage at the for the Visually Impaired, pass a national examination and obtain a license from the Council of Labor Affairs, Cheng says. They must also undergo an additional 200 hours of advanced training before starting to work. After their training, CEFB massage therapists can diagnose their clients' ailments and locate the right acupressure points to relieve their symptoms.

Best Foot Forward

Massage in has also become an accepted leisure activity, with foot massage shops gaining footholds in night markets and other tourist spots. Locals are not the only ones who appreciate foot massage, as international tourists are increasingly putting it on their must-do list during visits to . Chiang says around 3,000 international customers visit shops each month.

Foot massage theory, or reflexology, holds that internal organs are connected with nerve endings on the soles of the feet. As pressure is applied to points on the sole, a healthy person will not feel pain, while a painful spot is thought to reflect a disorder in its associated organ. The organ's ailment can be treated by massaging the sore points on the foot, and it is considered healed when the sore spots disappear.

The popularity of this form of massage has grown because customers do not need to undress for it and feel relaxed and invigorated afterwards. Foot massage shops are also easily set up because they do not require large work spaces.

The therapeutic claims of reflexology await further scientific study, the TCMA's Chen cautions, adding that the treatment is not yet included in the canon of mainstream Chinese medicine. He personally thinks that whole-body massage is more conducive to health.

With growing public demand for alternative medical services, Chen thinks the massage market has considerable room to develop. Cheng Long-shui of the CEFB agrees, noting that a rising standard of living has led to a wave of Taiwanese who are willing to spend more in their quest to eliminate stress and fatigue. More people are seeking out the services of skilled massage therapists in pleasant settings, which is why his establishments have registered sustained annual sales growth, Cheng says.

Chiang agrees, saying that as massage's popularity as a leisure activity grows, customers are increasingly asking for more comfortable, relaxing surroundings. Thus, an essential task for operators is to upgrade their facilities, services and schedules to match changing consumer preferences.

shops, for instance, are equipped with 42-inch plasma TVs and wireless Internet access points. The air is filled with the soothing scent of herbal essential oils. Each shop has 100 beds and seven VIP suites. "Our centers offer a peaceful environment where customers can sit back and relax completely. More than half fall asleep while receiving our services," Chiang says.

To offer clients flexible scheduling options, all of Chiang's shops are open seven days a week, and some are open 24 hours a day. Foot Massage Center outlets also offer service packages that include foot, neck, shoulder and whole-body massage, as well as scrape and suction-cup therapy at prices ranging from NT$200 to $1,600 (US$6 to $50).

These upgraded services, Chiang continues, are drawing a combined 18,000 customers to his shops each month. Seventy percent of clients are under the age of 40 and 60 percent are women.

"In the past, those asking for a massage were mostly men who were middle-aged or older. Now, with our improved services and atmosphere, we are attracting new consumer groups and expanding the market," he says. "In particular, we're attracting many young women who formerly didn't dare to step into a massage parlor, and parents now often come here with their children. We are also seeing a substantial increase in the number of foreign tourists."

Likewise, Cheng of the CEFB says his centers have introduced an array of service packages at prices that meet the needs of different customer groups. The services include foot massage, whole-body pressure-point massage and spa treatment that combines oil massage with aromatherapy.

Cheng is also upbeat about the prospects of the massage services market. "The economic environment has become increasingly competitive, and people have to work harder to keep their jobs," he says. "As a result, they often feel exhausted after work. We like to give people a much-needed sense of relaxation and help them regain the energy sapped in the course of their stressful urban lives."

Write to Kelly Her at kelly@mail.gio.gov.tw