You've admired the view from the Great Wall, been lost and found in the hutong and maybe even ridden a Beijing bicycle and now ... you're exhausted.

It's not so much a shortness of breath or a headache. It's your tootsies! They're overworked, underpaid and feeling decidedly under-appreciated. They're in dire need of TLC or they're walking off the job.

Luckily, help is close at hand. Wherever you are in Beijing, you won't be too far from a helping hand - it is estimated there are more than 20,000 massage parlors in the city.

A basic massage will usually last from 30 minutes to an hour, and cost anything from 25 yuan ($3.60) up. The finale is often a brief head and shoulders rub.

If you opt for a full-body massage, expect to pay 150 yuan ($21.80) and up for a long session, even more if you go the whole hog and they use massage oils.

It's likely your masseur/masseuse will have studied "reflexology", or how various parts of your feet relate directly to other parts of your body.

Once pooh-poohed in the West as superstition, reflexology has become far more widely accepted today - you can even do medical degrees in it in China and overseas, and its followers make wide-ranging claims about its health benefits.

Perhaps because sensitivity in the touch is so vital, this is one area where blind people excel. I've met several fellow tourists who swear by blind masseurs and will travel long distances to find one, rather than settle for any old massage parlor around the corner.

Best news of all is for insomniacs - one visit alone should be enough to send you home to a good night's sleep!

(China Daily  August 19,2008)