Beijing's Top Sights - Beijing - page 314

SPORTS, ACTIVITIES & COURSES

There is a branch of the popular Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat (

6593 6066; ground fl, Eastern

11am-1am) in Sānlǐtún. Inn Hotel, Nansanlitun Lu, Sānlǐtún;

“GUÓ'ĀN, GUÓ'ĀN, BĚIJĪNG GUÓ'ĀN!”

Football is growing in popularity in China and although you rarely see kids playing it on the street (you're much
more likely to see them playing basketball or badminton) the number of people going to watch live matches has
mushroomed in recent years. Běijīng's sole professional side is Běijīng Guó'ān ( www.fcguoan.com ) . They are
one of China's most successful football clubs and although they lack the big money and star names of Guǎngzhōu
Evergrande and Shànghǎi Shēnhuā they have a passionate core fan base, and draw large crowds for their home
games at the Workers Stadium (Gongren Tiyuchang). It's not unusual for in excess of 30,000 spectators to at-
tend big games, and going to see one before hitting the bars and clubs in the area is a decent night out for sports
fans, although don't expect a particularly high standard of football.
The season runs from March until November. Match days can be Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday; kick-
offs are usually 7.30pm. You can find Guó'ān's fixtures in English on www.worldfootball.net . Tick-
ets are sold online through Chinese-language websites, or over the phone (Chinese only), but are sold out so
quickly it's not worth bothering trying to go through these official channels. Standard practice is to just go to the
stadium an hour or so before kick-off and buy your tickets off ticket touts. Expect to pay at least double or triple
the face value of the ticket, meaning you'll probably have to fork out around ¥100 to ¥150 per ticket.
If you're interested in playing football while you're in Běijīng, contact the guys who run China ClubFootball
( www.clubfootball.com.cn ) .

BODHI THERAPEUTIC RETREAT |MASSAGE

OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP
( Pútí Huìsuǒ; 6417 9595; 17 Gongrentiyuchang Beilu, 11am-12.30am; Dongsi Shitiao) The serene
setting, a blend of Thai and Chinese influences just moments away from the madness of
Běijīng's traffic, helps you shift gears straightaway, and that's before one of the many mas-
seurs here gets to work in a comfy, private room. Bodhi offers aromatherapy, ayurvedic,
Thai- and Chinese- style massage, as well as great foot reflexology massages and a wide
range of facial treatments. There's free snacks and drinks, and with TVs in all the rooms
you can lie back and watch a DVD while being pummelled into shape. Prices start at ¥168