Shafama Brings Couch Surfing to China

Over the past decade, couch surfing has become a worldwide phenomenon.

On the website couchsurfing.com,

travelers can find free accommodation in local homes.

Now one Chinese couch surfer has brought his passion home.

He has created a couch surf style website entirely in Chinese…

And aimed at China's population of mainly domestic travelers.

Allie Johnson reports.

Li Qiang's favourite couch surfer was a Swiss guy who only stayed at his house for one night.

"He came over and we had dinner together. And we just got talking til like 2 o'clock in the morning. So although this was the first time I met him, but it felt like, not strangers. It's like my friend."

Couch surfing began in 2004 as a website where locals around the world could post offers for free accommodation to travelers.

Today there are more than one million couch surfers in over 230 countries.

And it's no longer just about a free place to crash…

Couch surfers hold all kinds of events and activities based on the idea of cultural exchange.

"I really like this idea – I love this idea. Through couch surfing people can get to know each other and they can communicate better and actually make their lives more liveable. And also help to increase the trust level. So overall I think it's good for the society."

But when he tried to spread his love in China…he ran into problems…

"I had no way to promote couchsurfing.org. Because it's mostly in English. So I can't tell Chinese who doesn't know English to go try it out. It's very hard."

The couch surfing concept…

already exists in China.

On Chinese social networking sites like Douban…

users post requests for free accommodation.

Or offer it.

But Li says the threads are a mess and hard to follow…

And unlike couchsurfing dot org, there is no rating system…

So you never know if you'll be sleeping in a palace or a dive.

So Li, who is a web developer, created shafama dot com.

Shafama literally means "got a couch?"

It's the same idea as couchsurfing.org, but it's all in Chinese.

Which means it's aimed mainly at domestic travelers.

Last year there were 2 billion trips made in China,

Compared to about 50 million abroad.

Li says that many of those are young people…

Who are tired of the tour groups typically favoured in China.

"A lot of people start doing travel by themselves or just with a few friends. That way they can choose where they want to go, where they want to stay, what they eat…so for the Chinese, the younger, they like the freedom."

Since they're now more open to new ways of traveling…

Li says Chinese youth are ready for "Shafama."

Mao Yi Min better known by her pen name, Momo….

wrote a book called "Hi, Couch Surfing,"

It's about her experiences on people's sofa's and mattresses throughout the Western world.

Momo says the explosion in popularity of Chinese social networking sites, like Sina Weibo…

Has created a culture where people are much more open to crashing on stranger's sofas.

"The new generation of youth has grown up with computers. So it's very natural for them to go online and check out the interests and hobbies of someone they've never met. You can go on someone's Weibo micro-blog and find out not just their interests but what they did today, what they're doing tomorrow…you can find out all about them."

Momo has recently opened a Shafama account herself.

She says the site will give urban and rural Chinese an opportunity to understand one another's day to day life.

"In Beijing, a 25 year old might make 5000 yuan a month, and pay 2000 a month for their apartment. In a small village, a 25 year old might only make 500 to 1000 yuan a month, and they might live in a house they built themselves with a lot of rooms, where they don't need to pay rent. So their lifestyles are completely different. So I think through this site rural people can experience the life of young city people, and city people can have a taste of what rural people's lives are really like."

Of course, when you're staying with a stranger…there are always safety concerns.

Li Qiang says just use common sense…

And check the rating system on the Shafama website.

Oh, and right now…

You can only join…

If you're invited or…

You write an email to Li Qiang…

And give him a good reason…

To let you shafa surf.

For CRI I'm Allie Johnson.