What Is a Couchsurfer
A "couchsurfer," as the name suggests, is someone who "sleeps on someone else’s couch." In reality, it doesn’t always mean sleeping on a couch—if the host has an extra room or bed, the couchsurfer will be very comfortable. And if you encounter a particularly hospitable host, they might even show you around the local sights and treat you to delicious regional cuisine. The term originates from...
With "budget travel" becoming increasingly popular, a new way of traveling called "couchsurfing" has quietly emerged in Chongqing...
Would You Let a Stranger Sleep on Your Couch?
Recently, a reporter tried being a "couch host" and found the experience: totally worth it!
On the day the post went up, 12 men applied, but the reporter politely declined
On December 9, 2012, the reporter posted in the "China Couchsurfing" group on Douban, announcing "Long-term couch available in Chongqing." That same day, netizens from Taiwan, Tianjin, Jiangsu, and other regions replied, hoping to sleep on that "couch." After browsing the "basic info" of the applicants, the female reporter first politely declined 12 male applicants, eventually choosing Zhao Qin (a pseudonym), a junior at Xi’an University of Science and Technology.
One private message on Weibo from the student moved the reporter—"I wonder if I could borrow your couch to rest for a bit? I’m a girl with a sense of public morality, who knows self-respect and respect, and I look forward to your reply."
Over the next month—before she flew from Xi’an to Chongqing on a 10%-off ticket—the reporter contacted her dozens of times via Weibo messages and text, discussing her itinerary briefly and learning about her lifestyle.
Once certain the couchsurfer hadn’t "flaked out," the reporter breathed a sigh of relief.
On January 6, the reporter met Zhao Qin at Xinpaifang. The 22-year-old carried a large hiking backpack, with a slightly worn pair of shoes tied to it. "Hi, here are my IDs," she said upon meeting, proactively handing over her ID card and student ID to the reporter, which eased the reporter’s initial anxiety considerably.
Chatting all the way, the reporter brought Zhao Qin to their home in Jinke Ten-Year City, Yubei District—a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment of about 60 square meters where the reporter lived alone. Prior to her arrival, the reporter had already stashed the camera and "electronic dictionary" originally in the living room into their bedroom. While showing Zhao Qin around, the reporter intentionally avoided the master bedroom, having her stay in the second bedroom directly.
The reporter and Zhao Qin got along like new friends. Late at night, the reporter began to feel nervous and didn’t dare bring up the topic of sleeping. It wasn’t until around 11 p.m., when Zhao Qin said, "I have to go to Ciqikou tomorrow, I’m going to sleep now," and went into her room, that the reporter finally returned to their own room—and locked the door immediately.
Afterward, the reporter started playing on Weibo in bed, ears perked to catch any sounds from the next room. Every cough or light switch sound from next door was crystal clear. Unable to wait for Zhao Qin’s snores, the reporter dozed off around midnight. It was a very light sleep.
At 8 a.m. the next day, the reporter got up, checked the living room to make sure the luggage was still there, confirming Zhao Qin hadn’t "run off," and breathed a sigh of relief.
Gaining a friend and many fresh stories, the reporter felt it was totally worth it!
Zhao Qin, the "couchsurfer," stayed for two days. The reporter still had some reservations and didn’t give her a key to the room. During the day, while she was out sightseeing, they would coordinate via text, and the reporter would get home before her so she wouldn’t be left out in the cold. She was careful to keep the room tidy, tidying up in the morning and cleaning the bathroom after showering. Though they spent little time together, she talked a lot with the reporter—about the cultural differences between Xi’an and Chongqing, previous couchsurfing experiences, the most unforgettable moments during travels, favorite books and movies...
On January 10, Zhao Qin left Chongqing, giving the reporter a Xi’an shadow puppet card and an apple. To this day, Zhao Qin remains in contact with the reporter, and they’ve agreed to send each other postcards.
As a first-time "couch host," the reporter’s cost was an empty room and two breakfasts—but they gained a friend, many fresh stories, and two nights forever worth remembering. Totally worth it!
Experience of a Veteran Chongqing Couchsurfer:
Spent Zero Dollars and Stayed in a Hong Kong Mansion for 7 Days
As one of Chongqing’s most active couchsurfers, Shangguan Xiaoguai, a 37-year-old columnist, once spent zero dollars and stayed in a mid-levels mansion in Hong Kong for seven days.
At the end of 2009, on the night Shangguan Xiaoguai arrived in Hong Kong, she happened to attend a gathering of Hong Kong couchsurfers. Two Hong Kong "couch hosts" she had been in touch with via email also showed up as promised. One was an American living in Hong Kong, the other a native Hongkonger. At the gathering, both hosts handed her their keys.
The American’s mansion was located on Victoria Peak in Central, next to a botanical garden, with 270-degree floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of Hong Kong’s busiest scenery. On the second day of Shangguan Xiaoguai’s stay, he went abroad, instructing several Filipino maids to take personal care of her.
After staying four days in the American’s mansion, Shangguan Xiaoguai then moved to the home of the Hongkonger "couch host." This host handed her the keys and then went to work, trusting her completely. She stayed there for three days, during which they only met twice.
Slept on Someone Else’s Couch – "I Traveled Around Hong Kong and Stayed in Mansions for 7 Days"
If you’ve seen "Journey to the West," you’ll definitely remember the classic line from Tang Sanzang: "Master, this humble monk comes from the Great Tang in the East, journeying to the West to worship Buddha and retrieve sacred scriptures. May I stay here for the night?"
More than a thousand years later, this model of securing a free place to stay for the night has been mysteriously promoted by a group of young people today. If this were happening today, Tang Sanzang and his disciples might share a trendy name with these youths: "couchsurfers."
“Borrow your sofa and I’ll travel the world”—does that sound a bit far-fetched? But you might not know that this kind of mutual travel method, which has spread via the internet and relies even more on trust between people, already has quite a few fans in Chongqing: staying in a luxury hillside home in Hong Kong for 7 days without spending a penny; traveling from Chongqing to Paris, having fun for a week, yet spending less than 5,000 yuan... Just look at these seemingly unbelievable stories—they’re all the amazing experiences of Chongqing’s couchsurfing community.
Chongqing Couchsurfers:
Over 200 members, with post-80s being the most active
“Couchsurfing is often a test of trust between people, and it has only gradually developed in Chongqing over the past two years.” Shangguan Xiaoguai, one of the most active couchsurfers in the Chongqing community, had just traveled from Chongqing to Shanghai in October 2010, and was planning to fly to Kunming, where another unfamiliar “sofa” was waiting for her arrival.
Traveling the world as a couchsurfer, nearly two years have passed now, and 33-year-old Shangguan Xiaoguai has visited several Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia and Laos. She never needs to include the high accommodation costs that many travelers worry about—wherever she goes, she always stays on the sofas offered by couchsurfers of different skin colors and languages.
“Around the world, almost all qualified couchsurfers share a common home base—a couchsurfing website founded in 2004 by an American boy named Casey Fenton. This site has now amassed nearly 2 million users, with many people willing to offer their sofas.” As an active couchsurfer in the Chongqing community, Shangguan Xiaoguai explains that on this website, over 100 million travelers each year embark on affordable journeys through the couchsurfing style of travel.
Of course, among the global community of couchsurfers gathered on this website, there are also quite a few people from Chongqing, with over 200 registered members.
In Chongqing, couchsurfers also have their own circle. “We have gatherings, basically once a month, and we also have our own QQ group for couchsurfers. On the global couchsurfing website, we also have a Chongqing group.” Around Shangguan Xiaoguai, the couchsurfing community mostly consists of urban white-collar workers, teachers, university students, and some foreigners living in Chongqing. Post-80s are naturally the main force, and most Chongqing couchsurfers are between 20 and 30 years old.
Couchsurfing Experiences:
The host trusted me and gave me the key
“Sleeping on someone else’s sofa while completing my own trip” may sound somewhat incredible. Take Shangguan Xiaoguai for example—in Hong Kong, she stayed for a full 7 days, living in hillside mansions every day, yet didn’t spend a single penny. This story is also quite “legendary” within the Chongqing couchsurfing circle.
Shangguan Xiaoguai said that at the end of last year, during the peak tourist season in Hong Kong, she had also heard that Hong Kong people were rather cold. “That time, I traveled from Thailand to Hong Kong. A week before departure, I sent out emails online. I wasn’t even sure if it would work, but the next day, two Hong Kong couchsurfers reached out to me, replying to the email to welcome my arrival.”
Later, Shangguan Xiaoguai arrived in Hong Kong as agreed, and even attended a gathering of Hong Kong couchsurfers that very evening. The two Hong Kong couchsurfers she had connected with via email also showed up as promised and were very friendly. “One was an American living in Hong Kong, and the other was a native Hong Konger. At the gathering, both hosts handed me the keys. The American then went abroad the next day to enjoy someone else’s sofa.”
It was this experience that allowed Shangguan Xiaoguai to stay in two hillside mansions on Victoria Peak in Central Hong Kong. “This American with the hillside mansion had a botanical garden next door, and from the 270-degree floor-to-ceiling windows, you could see the most bustling scenery of Hong Kong City. Although the owner wasn’t home, I slept on his sofa as promised, and several Filipino maids took good care of me according to the owner’s instructions.”
After staying in the American’s mansion for four days, Shangguan Xiaoguai then moved to the home of the Hong Kong couchsurfer. “That host was also very busy. After handing me the keys, he went off to work by himself. I stayed there for three days, but we only met twice.”
Couchsurfing Essentials:
Safety first, politeness is crucial
James, a 28-year-old Frenchman teaching in Chongqing, is one of the earliest batch of couchsurfers. Yesterday afternoon, right after finishing class, James was already planning his next trip online. Like him, there are quite a few foreigners in Chongqing’s couchsurfing community. Most of them come to Chongqing to teach or are representatives sent by business organizations. Although they are usually busy with work, this doesn’t affect their love for travel at all. Traveling to different places and being happy couchsurfers makes them enjoy themselves immensely.
“Couchsurfing is built on mutual respect and honesty, but to become part of it, you must understand the importance of safety—otherwise, it can be dangerous.” James said, “First, you should choose hosts with detailed profiles, observe their credibility through past reviews, and prioritize hosts of the same gender or families with higher safety levels.”
At the same time, the reputation of the couchsurfer is also a factor in whether the host is willing to accept you. “If you have bad reviews or no one is willing to vouch for you, it’s hard to get a sofa. So every couchsurfer knows how to be self-disciplined.”
“Besides safety first, politeness is also very important.” In Shangguan Xiaoguai’s view, as a qualified couchsurfer, there are certain etiquettes that everyone must follow: “After meeting the host, communicate with them promptly to judge their personality and attitude. If you notice anything unusual, find a way to back out in time and look for a hotel instead. Also pay special attention to the customs of certain countries. When communicating with the host, respect their cultural beliefs and privacy. Be mindful of hygiene, etiquette, and the security of your personal belongings when staying. If the host only provides accommodation, try to leave before they leave the house and return before they go to sleep.”
Couchsurfers also particularly dislike leaving without saying goodbye. “When leaving, clean up the place where you stayed, pack your luggage properly to avoid leaving anything behind, and it’s best to give the host a small gift to express your gratitude.”