Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing, well-known in America, is now catching on in China as a fashionable way of travelling that connects people in different locations who offer free places to stay on the Internet. Sometimes it's a bed, sometimes it's a couch, sometimes it's literally just a space. You get to meet a new friend and get a local perspective on the place you visit.

But it’s not just about finding free accommodation but about making connections that can cross oceans, continents and cultures.

In the run up to the 2010 Asian Games, a special Couchsurfing site was launched so Guangzhou citizens could offer free places to stay for foreign visitors to the Games. It gave the visitors a chance to share the local culture and experience Guangzhou hospitality.