Spa Lady Windy S Talk on Spa Trend

Asia Is Ready For Wellness

Spa Lady Windy Yang Taipei, Taiwan

1. SPA in Chinese 2. Post SARS Century --- Asia is Ready For Wellness SPA 3. Asian Women, the Leading Spa Ladies in the World 4. ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ Taiwan SPA Touch Your Heart

VCD PRESENTATION (3 minutes) “Hello Taiwan –Spa Lady’s Taiwan Hot Springs SPA Tour”

5. Spa Lady’s Onsen Love Stories 6. 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 [email protected] 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.)