Set up for wholesalers, Maliandao is a nondescript commercial district home to if not all the tea in China, then an awful lot of it. For leaf-hunters looking to venture beyond Beijing's favourite jasmine green tea, it can make for a fascinating, caffeine-fuelled excursion, but you'll probably need a Chinese speaker in tow. Alternatively, tour companies including The Hutong run tea-tasting excursions here.
You'll also find tea sets and accessories sold at cheaper prices than elsewhere. Maliandao Lu is where most of the wholesale tea malls are located.