This might not be all the tea in China, but with over a mile of shops hawking tea leaves and tea paraphernalia, it feels like it. Shops are run by the families of tea growers from Fujian and Zhejiang, and many rate this friendly street as the highlight of their visit. The four-story Tea City (Cha Cheng), halfway down the street, is a pleasant spot to start. Black tea (hong cha) and Pu'er tea (sold in round briquettes, a tea that improves with age) are usually sold by the same vendors. The Beijing outlet of Menghai Chachang (ext. 8165), at the south end of the first floor, stocks exquisite black tea. Oolong tea (wulong cha) is usually encountered in the West in substandard form: Here is the genuine article. There is such a wide range of flavors -- from flowery gaoshan to caffeine-laden tie guanyin, from milky jinxuan to the sweet aftertaste of renshen (ginseng) -- that most shoppers find a brew to suit. Try Taiwan Tianbaoyang Mingcha (ext. 8177), on the west side of Tea City's first floor. Ceramic and cloisonné tea sets are the other big draw. Ziyu Taofang (tel. 010/6327-5268; daily 8am-7pm), on the east side of the second floor, sells fine pots and cups molded from Yixing clay. Bargain hunters should visit Jingmin Chacheng, an older wholesale market, farther south on the same side of the street. Open daily 8:30am to 7pm.
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