The tale of new Yuan Spa is one of ancient East meets Eastside. Tucked at the base of a Bellevue megatower (Downtown Bellevue 1032 106th Ave NE; 425.449.8788; yuan- spa.com), the luxe 8,000-square-foot space, open since November, combines a swanky, modern pedicure room and massage treatments with a group bathing area and body scrubs that recall owner Z Zhang’s Chinese roots.

The tiled hydrotherapy area is modeled after a traditional Asian bathhouse, containing a hot tub, salt scrub bar, a eucalyptus steam room, dry cedar sauna and a saltwater pool, all employed in a cleansing circuit (hydrotherapy is free with some treatments; $39 for a day pass). Guests can also opt for Yuan’s signature Chinese Body Scrub Ritual ($169), a vigorous, cleansing exfoliation wherein dry skin is sloughed off (in vaguely horrifying quantities) with pumice-stone-style mitts. Refreshed skin is topped off with a warm-water rinse, deeply moisturizing lotion and a soothing scalp massage.