Yaos Day Spa on Montreal Street in Sydenham is a Christchurch day spa with its roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Founded by Camilla Li, who studied TCM at university in China, the spa blends ancient wisdom with modern wellness — built on the belief that true beauty comes from balance of body, mind and nature, and that healing needs to be real rather than high-tech.
The treatment menu centres on three pillars: facial, massage and head spa. Guests can choose from rejuvenating and tailored facials, acupressure-based facial therapy and facial lifting techniques, traditional Chinese massage and aromatherapy massage, and a much-loved head spa pairing scalp therapy with head and neck meridian massage. Hot waxing, detailed nail art and herbal skincare round out the offering, alongside a 30-minute skin consultation for anyone unsure where to begin.
A small, personal team delivers it all: senior beauty therapist Avon Wu (facials, hot waxing, head spa), Grace Chen (head spa, facial therapy, nail art) and Maggie Zou (nail art, skincare, head spa). Whether you want deep relaxation, radiant skin or a break from a busy routine, the aim is a peaceful space where your wellbeing comes first.
Opening hours run Monday to Thursday 9:30 am–6:00 pm, Friday and Saturday 9:30 am–8:00 pm (a handy after-work window) and Sunday 9:30 am–5:00 pm. Bookings can be made online, special deals and massage promotions run regularly, and gift cards are available.
Tucked onto Montreal Street in Sydenham, a short drive south of central Christchurch, Yaos Day Spa is a small wellness retreat with a distinctly Chinese heart. Its whole philosophy rests on a belief that founder Camilla Li carries with her daily: healing does not need to be high-tech or complicated — it just needs to be real. Every treatment on the menu, from a traditional Chinese massage to a relaxing facial, flows from that one idea.
Camilla studied Traditional Chinese Medicine at university in China, where she learned how the body works not only through anatomy and science, but through energy, touch and connection. Over the years she has come to trust what she describes as the deepest lesson of her training: our hands are the most powerful healing tools we have.
That is the approach you encounter at Yaos. Through gentle pressure, warm oil and the rhythm of breath, the team helps clients reconnect with their bodies, release what they have been holding onto, and feel like themselves again. Camilla personally specialises in traditional Chinese massage, facial lifting techniques and scalp therapy — but more than anything, she offers a space where you can slow down and be cared for. The spa's guiding line sums it up: true beauty comes from balance, of body, mind and nature.
The treatment menu is built around three pillars: facial, massage and head spa. Massage options include traditional Chinese massage and aromatherapy massage, both rooted in the founder's hands-on TCM training. On the facial side there are rejuvenating and tailored facials, acupressure-based facial therapy, and facial lifting techniques designed to restore glow without anything invasive. The head spa pairs scalp therapy with head and neck meridian massage for a deeply calming reset.
Beyond those pillars, the spa also offers hot waxing, detailed nail art and herbal skincare, plus a 30-minute skin consultation for anyone unsure which treatment suits them best. Special deals and massage promotions run regularly, and gift cards are available for those hoping to pass the calm along.
The team is small and personal. Avon Wu, a senior beauty therapist, handles tailored facials, hot waxing and head spa treatments, and sees beauty as both an art and a form of healing. Grace Chen combines head spa, facial therapy and nail art, working with acupressure-based facials and head and neck meridian massage. Maggie Zou came to beauty therapy after becoming a full-time mother and now focuses on nail art, skincare and head spa — she believes nails can be a source of healing and self-expression, not just decoration.
The spa sums up a visit in three of its own words: relax, restore, reconnect. The pace is unhurried and treatments lean on touch, breath and warm oil rather than gadgets. Whether you come for deep relaxation, radiant skin or a break from a busy routine, the promise is the same: a peaceful space where your wellbeing comes first.
Yaos Day Spa is at 106 Montreal Street, Sydenham, Christchurch. Opening hours are Monday to Thursday from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm, Friday and Saturday from 9:30 am to 8:00 pm, and Sunday from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm — the late Friday and Saturday sessions make it an easy after-work unwind. Appointments can be booked online, and if you are not sure where to start, the 30-minute skin consultation is a gentle way in.