Wu Lim Qi Gong Master

I’ve been coming here for years. It really is hit or miss, depending on who you get, but lately it has been more misses than hits. They hit a new low when my last masseuse was texting while massaging me! Seriously, I am not making this up. It was so obvious. Her one arm was laying limp on my back but I could feel her making a movement with her hands and when I turned around I saw her texting. She apologized profusely and said it was her daughter. I understand that family emergencies come first, but seriously, turn off the timer, finish communicating with your family, and then give me a proper massage. I don’t care how low the prices are. This behavior is unacceptable.

Seriously this place is no joke! I did get confused finding the place since some reviewers said 145 grand street and some said 179 grand, so I just called and a lady greeted me at the door to a «sketchy» mall, down the hall and ushered me to a gentleman to start. Let’s say it was the BEST — painful– but «Ouch, don’t stop, it feels so good!» Experience in my life!!!
Working long hours in front of a computer + jiu jitsu training really worked up some tough knots on my whole body. After having a month long pain from my shoulders and moving up to my neck, I got frustrated! Even many expensive visits to my Chiro did not make a difference, so I decided to get a massage instead! After a grueling 60 minutes, my masseuse dug in to work on every.single.knot. My body feels so relaxed right now and the masseuse did recommend to come back in 2 weeks because my shoulders are extremely stiff!
Glad I found this gem!

I’ve now been here hundreds of times over the past 8 years. This place is fantastic no frills massage at its best. Nearly every masseuse is fantastic and I take friends there all the time!
Make sure you go to the right location, it’s underground — down a steep set of stairs from the street level. If you walk into a place on street level you’re in the copycat, not the good one.

God Bless Laura and her strong hands… I have had many painful knots on my shoulders for years and after one session she managed to get rid of several of them.
I am going to become a regular for sure.
One down side was the bathroom… it is pretty gnarly… so go on with an open mind and enjoy the no frills, but best massage ever!

I have been coming here for almost 20 years. As someone else mentioned in their review, the décor leaves a lot to be desired. There are a few private rooms but usually you will be in a room with up to three other people. You may take your pants or shirt off if you like but I rarely do unless I am wearing very tight jeans or something delicate. They cover you in a towel and massage you through the towel. The best thing about this place is how strong they are — men AND women! They can do a more gentle massage if you like. There have been times I have gone in with tremendous pain in my neck, and have left there 90 minutes later able to move freely again.
Reminder: this place is not fancy. You dont take your clothes off and there wont be any fancy oils, lotions, or candles. What you will get is a very strong, very theuraputic massage.

This place isn’t much on décor or atmosphere, but the massage was by far the best I’ve ever had. If you’re looking for luxurious atmosphere, this isn’t the place for you. If you want an amazing massage you must try it. Very deep, worked out every knot and I feel fantastic. Laura was the best!

This spa has been opening for many years, I always spent my time going there to relax. Even thought the store is not as big as other spa, the masseurs press every inches of skin very well

I do not expect a super-​clean place, but the bathroom is repulsive. The signs around the business say «back rub» and that is what you get. I have gone a few times and I don’t understand the «technique» people are referring to. It’s just a mild back rub. The therapists are nice enough, but they are not trained well in Qi Gong. There are much better places. Also, as noted in earlier review, one therapist was surprisingly rude at tip time. I always tip about 50% at these places. Apparently that wasn’t enough. The therapist swiped her hand toward the five I was putting in my pocket! The Unilocal photo from Time Out NY looks to be a photo of an ad that they put in the magazine.

My boyfriend and I have decided to go to the massage place in Chinatown. This place is spacious with a lot of beds in the basement.
I think most of therapists believe customers like strong massage. So my boyfriend was really satisfied, but not for me. My therapist tried to make it softer as I requested and it was fine.
For their prices, location and friendly atmosphere, I can consider to go back again.
If you want to have a quick massage after your long shopping day, it’s a good place to refresh yourself instead of going back home with swollen legs. Plus, it’s located in the heart of Chinatown where you can enjoy cheap Chinese food ;)

Awesome massage!!! I have been struggling with knots in my back and shoulder for a while. This was simultaneously the most painful and best massage I have received. She went deep into the knots, but it was the good kind of pain. I was definitely squirming at certain points and almost cried, but now I am so happy to have relief from the knots. My neck and back already feel looser. If you want a gentle, relaxing spa type scenario, this may not be the place for you. It’s an open room, and nothing fancy. I’ve been trying to find a cheap place where I can get a serious deep massage, and I am so happy I found Wu Lim.
Ed.: After returning there many times, I’m knocking down the stars. Had a few weird experiences there. In one instance, my masseuse snatched my friend’s tip from the counter, after I had already tipped her. A clean, safe environment is very important to me and extends to the way workers are treated. Things I am looking for in a massage place: kindness, peacefulness, and quietness. Ambiance and vibes matter.

I asked for softer but the massager would progressivley apply more strength so I had to request softer numerous times which was irritating and not relaxing at all. Last night was my first and will be my last time here. I feel just as sore, if not more today than I had felt yesterday. Extremely disappointed.

I have been going to Wu Lim for a body massage for 9 years and go about every two weeks. They are terrific. I had lower back pain and arthritis in the thumb joint of both hands. With the massages that I have received, the pains are GONE. It didn’t take overnight for the pain to subside but within a month I was certainly feeling so much better and without pain. Now I continue to have my massages to make sure that the discomfort does not return.
The studio is clean (pretty clean anyway), each therapist speaks a little English (some more than others). I go to Michael but my friends have gone to other therapists and they are just as satisfied as I am.
I highly recommend Wu Lim on the corner of Baxter and Grand Streets.
If you go, I know that you will feel much better than you do now. Plus it is RELAXING.
Georgia Browne

Wu Lim Qi Gong Master is located as listed on Unilocal,it is at 179 Grand Street. Others listing 145 Grand are referring to another spot called Essence, that is NOT Wu Lim Qi Gong Master, the original, amazing Chinese massage spot.
First, this place looks sketchy, I mean really sketchy. You walk in and down a hall way and there is a desk and a man. You ask for a massage and the time and he calls someone out and they take you to a room. Then you experience the most thorough and incredible massage if your life. I mean… I have gone to some of the best, and most expensive, spas in the world, literally, and I have never had a massage as amazing as what I received at Wu Lim Qi Gong Master. $ 21 for 31 minutes but that’s not enough, splurge and go for 46 or 61 minute, you’ll want it.
I can’t say enough about this place other than it is so inexpensive that if this doesn’t become a weekly habit for me something’s wrong. I get a manicure every week, now I’m adding a massage at Wu Lim Qi Gong Master to my weekly musts of errands.
Awesomesauce!

The issue with massages is it depends entirely on the skill/​hands of the masseuse, and everyone enjoys a different amount of pressure.
My friend and I shared a larger room which was clean and relaxing (although she was momentarily put off by the state of the bathroom and we almost left the place altogether, but that can be easily avoided). Don’t expect a beautiful spa, but you can expect a decent space that is warm and clean.
My friend really loved the woman massaging her. But the woman massaging me was far too rough, and I repeatedly had to tell her to go softer. She did get all the knots out of my back, although fairly aggressively, so I came out feeling better and a lot less tense. But the duration of process itself was a bit too rough for my liking.
Overall, this place gets the job done. Come if you have aches/​knots/​tension in your muscles and you’re not interested in paying for frills.

Like another reviewer said, it’s 145 grand street. So good. Masseuses very skilled. Found all my knots and points that needed kneading. Buy 10 get one free. You can come for 16 min or 32 or 48 or 64 minutes. And the charge is the same price per hour (roughly $ 40). Perfect for if you want to just come in and get some knots out. Both masseuses I had in a week span were excellent. Trying to find the same quality here in LA…

My friend took me here and recommend their spa to me. Love the spa here, massagers here are professional and nice!

I’m a bit of a spa junkie. When I travel for work, I make a point to visit different high-​end spas across Asia, Europe, and South America. Wu Lim Qi Gong Master is hands down the best massage I’ve had. What it lacks in décor it makes up for in quality massage.

This was absolutely one of the best massages I’ve ever had from a purely technical point of view. They found every knot in my body (including some I didn’t even know were there) and worked me into a bowl of jello — exactly what I needed! As Jack joked, «no pain, no gain!»
As others have written on here, don’t come to this place if you are expecting a fancy spa experience with nice smelling oils and the sound of waterfalls in the distance. Despite the no-​frills appearance, the customer service was out of this world for the $ 42 you pay for a 1hr massage. At the end, we had several cups of freshly brewed tea, were thanked by the staff for coming, and they hoped that we come back again.

I’ve been patronizing this spot and have loved it for over a decade now since moving here in 2001; they’ve always been consistently good. Seemed to have a high turnover rate of therapists, but that didn’t bother me since they still generally held to a high standard of strength which is all I really require to unlock these crazy painful knots in my shoulders.
In the last year though I’ve noticed they’ve been going downhill in selecting their therapists. There is still strong pressure but the masseuses are much more rude and disrespectful: they talk to each other while working and the last one I had snapped at me when I was trying to tell her where I needed the most attn. Afterwards, as I gave her more than 20% tip in spite of her rudeness, she was still very rude and threw major attitude. And then it happened again on my next visit also — although that was my fault as I didn’t realize until it was too late that it was with the same lady. But yep, she was just as obnoxious as the first time, although this time she also answered her phone and conversed in the middle of the massage. It’s like, ‘really, lady?’ Sheesh.
Too bad because I’ve loved this place for the past decade until they started hiring rude scary dragon ladies.

I came here last summer for a random massage.
When I first walked into the place, it was really, REALLY sketch. I was led down into a nice looking massage room that was dark. Then, I had to switch rooms for some odd reason.
Anywho, finally settled in the second room and the masseuse was a chinese lady who was bigger than usual in size but wow, she worked my muscles. She put towels over me & honestly, the massaage hurt 85% of the time. But I tell you what, I was glowing after I left there and I felt SO good the next day. I got the hour massage for $ 42.
I got a punch card to use to eventually earn a free massage. I was able to put the service on my credit card, but they only take tips in cash.
It was okay. I’ve had better massages for the same price in more upscale places.
Yes, I’m picky but you can find a reasonably inexpensive massage in a gorgeous establishment. You just have to hunt.