For the December issue of the Beijinger, we sent our editors out to try their hand at traditional Chinese crafts. An excerpt of their experiences was featured in the magazine. The following is the full version of their story.

For a moment, I worried I might regret signing up for tuina massage. (And no, it's not pronounced "tuna"). Would it leave me feeling empty-handed when everyone else was showing off their carved eggs and Peking opera masks? Then, I took one two-hour session, and realized I pretty much made out like a bandit on this one. Not only did I get free massages during class, but I left feeling strangely equipped to take on the world.   

After years of waiting, Eastern and Western massage have finally found a happy union in the aromatic hot stone massage (RMB 680 for 60 min). The masseuse starts by placing heated stones along your meridians, and after gently uncovering parts of your body, she dabs you with a “poultice” – heated Balinese stones wrapped in muslin and heated in shea butter infused with medicinal herbs and essential oils.

Who says Beijing doesn't have "stunning European architecture"? Our fair city certainly has its share of kitsch, but this development along the banks of the Tonghui River just south of Dawang Qiao takes the cake.

Modeled after the Alpine Swiss town of Interlaken, the "Tonghui International Bar Street" (通惠国际酒吧街) has been under construction for well over a year now, with its iconic bell tower just visible behind the large metal walls that, until yesterday, surrounded the development. Now that part of the scaffolding has been removed, we were able to walk around the perimeter for a peek.

It seems ever more clear that the CBD was planned by a complete sociopath. All those apartment complexes and office buildings, but hardly any sign of life after 8pm. No taxis. So much commercial space, so much of it seemingly willfully hidden away from view. None of this makes it easy to run a bar in the CBD. Indeed, few have succeeded.

Owned by a Finnish businessman, My Life is the latest bar to take up the challenge. On a quiet night, the heavily white space looks rather forlorn and sterile. However, picture the bar even half full, and you can see the design’s “woodland” touches – streams of running water and leaves draped overhead – coming alive.

Contrary to popular stereotypes about the Shanghainese, Helen Chang of Savills has not just moved to Beijing, but embraced it. Her company’s Beijing headquarters overlook Beijing’s Central Business District (CBD) and Chang is the first to admit that this place has really grown on her during the past two years. Agenda sat down with Chang to better understand Savills’ residential operations in Beijing, the limitations of being a foreign-owned real estate company, and what the best places to invest are.