I'm planning to visit my girlfriend while she is studying in Beijing
this summer, and was wondering if there any tea shops I should
definitely visit. I'd like to buy some teas that would be unavaliable
or far too pricey in the states. Thanks for any suggestions.

I don't think it will be easy to find right thing at a fair price in
Beijing, for it is far away from those origin places, the average
living cost is much higher than nearby, and neither the price nor the
quality is satisfactory. But if you will stay in there more than 15
day, maybe you should try to order some online from origin place, and
better with some help from local friends.

I was cheated many times in the main supermarkets in Beijing, try to
avoid those. Wangfujing shopping centre have some good stuff, but
pricy. Yansha? not sure...

Alternatively, you may find some better tea shops in Tianjin, 1 hour
19 minutes by rail from Beijing (direct).
Some places in Tianjin you could get some good stuff:
Tianfu Mingcha on Heping Road, good retailer, but a little pricy
compare Shuanquan. That area is also the main shopping centre in
Tianjin, 10-15 minutes by taxi from the railway station.
Shuuanquan Chaguan on Ancient Culture Street, but you need some local
friends to guide you, if your aim is tea, your friends better good at
that. 10-15 minutes by taxi from the railway station.
IF you want to see a proper tea presentation with real folk music
show, better go to Pingshan Road, there is a good tea house, forget
the name, but it was the only one on that street 2 years ago. 15-30
minutes from Shuangquan.
Yangchunyuan on Heping Road is to be avoid!!
Also, there is a outdoor sport club on Chende Road, near Haihe river,
they serve very good green tea (Biluochun)

haven't been there for 2yrs, things might change, good luck on your
journey



(jroth1) wrote in message om>...
> I'm planning to visit my girlfriend while she is studying in Beijing
> this summer, and was wondering if there any tea shops I should
> definitely visit. I'd like to buy some teas that would be unavaliable
> or far too pricey in the states. Thanks for any suggestions.

I don't think it will be easy to find right thing at a fair price in
Beijing, for it is far away from those origin places, the average
living cost is much higher than nearby, and neither the price nor the
quality is satisfactory. But if you will stay in there more than 15
day, maybe you should try to order some online from origin place, and
better with some help from local friends.

I was cheated many times in the main supermarkets in Beijing, try to
avoid those. Wangfujing shopping centre have some good stuff, but
pricy. Yansha? not sure...

Alternatively, you may find some better tea shops in Tianjin, 1 hour
19 minutes by rail from Beijing (direct).
Some places in Tianjin you could get some good stuff:
Tianfu Mingcha on Heping Road, good retailer, but a little pricy
compare Shuanquan. That area is also the main shopping centre in
Tianjin, 10-15 minutes by taxi from the railway station.
Shuuanquan Chaguan on Ancient Culture Street, but you need some local
friends to guide you, if your aim is tea, your friends better good at
that. 10-15 minutes by taxi from the railway station.
IF you want to see a proper tea presentation with real folk music
show, better go to Pingshan Road, there is a good tea house, forget
the name, but it was the only one on that street 2 years ago. 15-30
minutes from Shuangquan.
Yangchunyuan on Heping Road is to be avoid!!
Also, there is a outdoor sport club on Chende Road, near Haihe river,
they serve very good green tea (Biluochun)

haven't been there for 2yrs, things might change, good luck on your
journey



(jroth1) wrote in message om>...
> I'm planning to visit my girlfriend while she is studying in Beijing
> this summer, and was wondering if there any tea shops I should
> definitely visit. I'd like to buy some teas that would be unavaliable
> or far too pricey in the states. Thanks for any suggestions.

I remember a "tea street" (chajie) in the south west part of Beijing, where
I have been two years ago. Maybe it is in Xuanwu district, but I can't
remember exactly where. Most of taxi driver should know it.
There are a lot of small shops all along both sides of this street. Prices
where definitely lower then those of shops in Wangfujing and other shopping
centres. The right place for bargin and making good deals, but also for
bitter cheating if you don't know what the real price should be.
Apart tea leaves shopping, I think you can spend a couple of afternoons in
one of the many tea house that have been opend in Beijing in the last few
years. I haven't been in any of them (since I was too busy during my last
trip in Beijing), but I felt that there is a strong influence of Taiwanese
style "chayiguan" (tea art houses). This at least holds true for Wufu
Chayiguan, one of the main chain-store tea houses in Beijing.
Livio

"jroth1" > ha scritto nel messaggio
m...
> I'm planning to visit my girlfriend while she is studying in Beijing
> this summer, and was wondering if there any tea shops I should
> definitely visit. I'd like to buy some teas that would be unavaliable
> or far too pricey in the states. Thanks for any suggestions.

I remember a "tea street" (chajie) in the south west part of Beijing, where
I have been two years ago. Maybe it is in Xuanwu district, but I can't
remember exactly where. Most of taxi driver should know it.
There are a lot of small shops all along both sides of this street. Prices
where definitely lower then those of shops in Wangfujing and other shopping
centres. The right place for bargin and making good deals, but also for
bitter cheating if you don't know what the real price should be.
Apart tea leaves shopping, I think you can spend a couple of afternoons in
one of the many tea house that have been opend in Beijing in the last few
years. I haven't been in any of them (since I was too busy during my last
trip in Beijing), but I felt that there is a strong influence of Taiwanese
style "chayiguan" (tea art houses). This at least holds true for Wufu
Chayiguan, one of the main chain-store tea houses in Beijing.
Livio

"jroth1" > ha scritto nel messaggio
m...
> I'm planning to visit my girlfriend while she is studying in Beijing
> this summer, and was wondering if there any tea shops I should
> definitely visit. I'd like to buy some teas that would be unavaliable
> or far too pricey in the states. Thanks for any suggestions.