I think you might find Twining's tea in some supermarkets, and there is a 'Whittard's of Chelsea' shop at 'The Place'.

Otherwise, stock up when you fly back, and if the worst comes to the worst, drink Lipton's Yellow Label.

I found out today black tea is sold at Wuyoutai Tea Shop, #186 Wangfujing Dajie.

That assumes people can read Chinese.

It's not something you can learn in a day or a month.

Most questions like this are from people new to the country.

http://s.taobao.com/search?q=PG+tips+%B2%E8&rt=1319643561798
http://s.taobao.com/search?q=PG+tips+%BA%EC%B2%E8&rt=1319643637314

so... f-ing easy to do this

yes... you sure got that nailed, taobao totally pays me

if you are looking for a specific item, especially an import, it's pointless to not taobao it. It'll be cheaper even with kuaidi tacked on than anything you'll ever get in a regular store.

I get the same damn oven on taobao for 275 that (if you're lucky) you find in a store for well over 1000. Blender? I have a nice glass one, multispeed, it was 140... compare that to 600 for anything approaching tolerable in the stores.

Hell, I can even get high gluten imported flour for far cheaper than anything you'll find in the stores. There are only a few things that are not a bargain, and it'll generally be for stuff you should buy local anyways (because everyone has it).

Nope, nothing wrong with people going to a store to buy teabags, but when you are looking for an imported brand, a specific type, you are either 1) never gonna find it or 2) get horribly ripped off if you do find it. How many hours and how much taxi fare did ya spend to find the thing that wasn't actually what you were going for? Taobao Taobao Taobao, it's like the first thing you should check to see if you can even get it in China and at about what price it should be. This ain't rocket science here.

Whereisshenmue3, are you still looking for black tea? Black tea is called hóngchá [红茶] in Chinese. You can get it anywhere in China. So look for 红茶 on the label, or tell the shop you want hóngchá.

taoBao is good - but can you actually buy stuff off there if you don't have a Chinese friend?

I can't get any of my bank cards to work with it - none of my Chinese ones do - even the ones set up for internet sales.

I survived with using 2 bags of Lipton for over a year - but I eventually had to give in and asked for an emergency food parcel to be sent out by my good ol mum. Thanks mum

I got 159 lovely pyramid bags within 2 weeks that are rapidly disappearing now.

Luckily I also have a friend who has just come out here bearing gifts - now I have a veritable smorgasbord of tea. PG Tipps, Tetleys, Yorkshire...you name it, I got it!!

So my advice is call home... It cost about 8 quid to post the bags here - but that's cheap. How much would you pay for a machifrappycrappylatte in one of the coffee culthouses around here anyway!?

haha

faggy black tea, brilliant, i want some

i wonder if tastes of the british or american interpretation of the word f**

hair regeneration herb tea too, hmmmmmm