In addition, hosts often take the traveler to places that are unknown to tourists but popular among locals. Therefore, it's a better way to get to know a city from a different angle.

The help provided in mutual aid travel isn't limited to finding food and a place to stay. Actually, some hosts may not have extra space in their homes, but can help in other ways, says Zhang Linlin from Northeastern Chinese city of Harbin.

"We try our best to provide help. For example, we may provide accommodations if there is enough space at home. If we have a car, we may drive the visitor around. We may also help in hotel booking, buying cheap entry tickets to sightseeing spots, or designing itinerary."

In the network, person A visits B's city, and B may go to C's - the network expands very rapidly this way, so that more and more people get involved. In huzhuyou.com, one of the earliest mutual aid traveling sites in China, there are currently more than 150 thousand registered members from areas across China and even some cities in other countries, such as Indonesia and Singapore. According to Zhong Yi, who established the site, certain groups of people occupy the largest portion of members.

"About one-third of our members are middle-aged people over 40 years old, many of whom have retired. Teachers, students, and some young people doing freelance jobs form another major part of the members. As these people have a lot of free time, they are more willing to go traveling and fond of meeting different people during the tour."

Despite all the conveniences of "mutual-aid travel", safety remains the biggest concern. As travelers have to stay in a stranger's home, it becomes especially important to select a trustworthy host. Zhong Yi explains on the solution his website offers.

"All of our members are registered with their real names and personal details. And we have checked all the information they provided. After a trip, both the traveler and the host should give feedback to each other in the forum, so that the other members can choose the more reliable hosts according to their credit."

Zhong Yi also suggests that a traveler posts his or her itinerary and plans on the website before setting out, because the more open a trip is, the safer it is.