Instead of working part-time to fund her studies, Guo Xinyu, a first-year student at Yangzhou University (YZU), Jiangsu province, traded labor for free accommodation at B&Bs from Jan 20 to Feb 10 during her winter holiday. 

Guo was inspired to do so by a story she read online about exchanging work for accommodation, which is a popular way for youth to travel and gain life experiences. 

Her working holiday destinations were Hangzhou, Ningbo and Shaoxing cities in neighboring Zhejiang province. 

A student at the School of Journalism and Communication at YZU, she spent 22 days traveling, alternately taking one day for work and another day for leisure and sightseeing. For work, she used her media skills to help promote the local B&Bs online and receive instant feedback. She used her spare time to visit renowned local landscapes and get a taste of regional culture. 

Guo considered it a rewarding way to travel and a win-win solution which was both interesting and developed her professional skills. 

"At first I visited tourist spots like the West Lake and Qiantang River, but as time went on, I preferred taking a stroll in local communities, streets and grocery shops, sharing in the peace and simplicity of daily life." 

"The taxi drivers in Xiangshan county, the bellman at Liuhe Tower, and the conversational granny at a Hangzhou bus stop showed me the various aspects of life and made my trip fun and interesting," Guo said.

A bird's eye view of Xiangshan in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on Jan 26 shows the peace and tranquility of the county. [Photo/VCG]

Liuhe Tower in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, is adjacent to Qiantang River. Photo taken on Sept 26, 2017. [Photo/VCG]