Li Huan regularly uses the home-sharing platform Airbnb because it offers unique experiences at relatively lower costs－and she can cook.

"Most hosts communicate with guests," the 30-year-old photographer who lives in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region's capital, Nanning, says.

"I enjoy these cultural exchanges. They become cherished memories."

An elderly Japanese couple shared life stories with her and other guests using a translation app, and treated her to especially delicious strawberries.

"If you miss Chinese food while traveling abroad, you can cook a hearty meal on your own. And you interact with locals at markets," she says.

A growing number of young Chinese like Li are using home-sharing when traveling.

It not only allows them to better engage local life but also offers opportunities to live in uniquely decorated rooms or, for instance, a tree house.

Airbnb has recorded over 10 million Chinese guest arrivals globally since it started in 2008. Over half were in the past year alone. And 2017's figure of Chinese users traveling outbound on Airbnb doubled 2016's figure.

China's Airbnb listings have increased 250 percent in the past year.

China is the company's fastest growing market. It says brand building, prioritizing quality over quantity and constructing community among hosts and guests are its main goals in the country.

"The Chinese market is different from others because it has a large population of about 1.39 billion people and the internet penetration is high," says Airbnb China's president, Peng Tao.

"China has about 400 million millennials, who are curious about the world and enjoy independent travel. And Chinese are used to accessing travel resources online, especially via smartphones."

Peng believes all these factors have set a solid foundation for Airbnb to grow.

The fact that it's a technology-driven company also means it can better engage Chinese users, he says.

"Our listings have a human touch," Peng says.

"We always encourage hosts to show their hospitality. Guests can experience local culture."

The Airbnb Host Academy launched in March provides Chinese hosts with both online and offline trainings. It enables them to interact with other hosts from different communities face-toface and to learn from role models.

The company also globally launched Airbnb Plus that month to provide top-end homes with outstanding hosts. Shanghai was one of the first 13 cities. Chengdu was recently included and there will be six more Chinese cities by the end of 2018.

Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk points out that the market has continued to lead outbound travel in terms of expenditure for years. And young Chinese are willing to try new things.

But home-sharing remains a new concept among Chinese, he says.

"It's important to get introduced to the market in the right way," says Blecharczyk, who flies to China once a month to meet the company's Chinese team.

"That's why we focus so much on quality and ensure properties meet our standards. Good experience is a function of setting the right expectations for both guests and hosts."

Home-sharing should be viewed as a positive experience that requires trust that grows through word-of-mouth, he believes.

"Safety is always our priority. It's the most foundational way of building trust," he says.

"Over the past decade, numerous reader reviews have given hosts an accumulation of reputation. That's significant because it really breaks the trust barrier and makes it easy to know that you will get what you expect. It's highly reliable."

He's proud that over 90 percent of guests traveling to China in the past year gave five-star (top) reviews, which is above the global average.

Peng says the technical team will create predictive analyses about the trustworthiness of hosts and guests before confirming each reservation.

He says Airbnb has worked hard to manually review its China listings and remove those that don't meet standards.

The company has also organized Airbnb community events to advocate trust building.

The global team provides 24/7 customer support in 11 languages, including Chinese.

A host will have a guarantee of property damage protection of up to $1 million. A free liability insurance of up to $1 million will also protect hosts against third-party claims of bodily injury or property damage during guests' stays.

Blecharczyk has hosted hundreds of guests in San Francisco.

But most don't recognize him as Airbnb's co-founder.

He says the Airbnb home he stayed in Shanghai recently was "a cool place like a museum, with various items that the host has collected from his travels around the world. Such a unique experience is a reflection of our unique hosts."