My name is Xu Chenxiang, but you can also call me Edward (or Ed), as I know Chinese names can sometimes be challenging to pronounce. I am a 25-year-old man from China, currently pursuing a PhD at Freie Universität Berlin after completing my master’s degree at Peking University. My field of study is history, with a particular focus on the interactions between Latin Europe and the Mongol Empire, including its successor khanates and later Central Asian Mongol-Turkic states like the Timurid Empire. I am especially interested in the role of mendicant orders, such as the Franciscans and Dominicans, during this period.
While I grew up in a traditional Chinese environment that emphasized following rules and maintaining a quiet, gentle demeanor, I have always taken a different path. I believe that history is not just something to be read about but something to be experienced and explored. My passion for research has led me on field trips to Inner Mongolia, Tibet, and Xinjiang, where I have made small historical discoveries in areas lacking modern civilization and infrastructure. These adventures have shaped me into someone curious to uncover the unknown, unafraid to try new things, and resilient in less-than-ideal circumstances.
Traveling to remote and underdeveloped regions has also taught me the importance of connecting with local communities. I take pride in being outgoing and humorous, and I strive to make others feel at ease in any situation. My sincerity and openness mean that I am always ready for meaningful conversations—about anything and everything.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I attended UC Berkeley as a summer school student, which was my first experience living abroad and immersing myself in a completely different culture. I was incredibly excited and determined to make the experience meaningful and memorable. Before my trip, I learned about Couchsurfing from a friend who had recently returned from Europe. It struck me as a fantastic way to adapt to an unfamiliar environment and quickly delve into the deeper layers of the culture, including the local lifestyle, with the help of kind native hosts. It reminded me of my field trips to Inner Mongolia and Tibet—though, of course, those didn’t involve Couchsurfing.
During my 8-week stay in the U.S., I decided to try Couchsurfing for the first two weeks. It allowed me to connect with locals, gain unique insights into American culture, and make my stay truly enriching. In return, I resolved to host guests in China and advocate for Couchsurfing in mainland China, where it is still not widely accepted due to traditional attitudes.
Exploring different cultures and meeting great people has always been one of the joys of traveling for me, and I found that Couchsurfing made these connections much easier. It was a truly rewarding part of my journey.

Interests

• writing
• literature
• ballet dancing
• chinese food
• japanese food
• reading
• traveling
• classical music
• folk music
• buddhist
• swimming
• anthropology
• sociology
• adventure
• museums
• french food
• medieval history
• mongolia
• cooking and eating
• romantic movies
• western philosophy
• history and culture

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Handel, Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven

Movie: Harry Potter, Braveheart, Kingdom of Heaven, Gone with the wind, Roman Holiday, The Bridges of Madison County, Waterloo Bridge, Tristan and Isolde, Back to future, Marvel series movies

Book：Mainly professional books about the history period of Mongolian Conquest, inner Asia and the Frontier history of China. As for literatural books, the most part of these books are written by Lev Tolstoy, Pushkin, Chekhov (I like the Russian writers in Tsarist Russia mostly), English writters like Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Dickens and modern writers J.k. Rowling, Tolkien.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In my field trip in Tibet, because of in the remote mountainous regions, I had no place like hotel to accomodate. Therefore, I walked all day to find a proper place to sleep with a strong altitude sickness. Then I found a house belongs to a herdsman near a Tibetan Buddhism Temple, and I commiuncated with the host in gesture (I can speak little Tibetan), hoped that I can be provided with a sleep place for several nights. Eventually, I succeed, and having great three days without any bother of modern technology, and this may be included as a risky adventure I have experienced.

Teach, Learn, Share

I magor in history and I am familiar with sociology, anthropology, and religious. So sometimes I can consider some problems and events in a unique professional social science viewpoint.

and because my interest are Mongolian Conquest, inner Asia and the Frontier history of China. So I am learning some languages not used in a wide range or even not used today, like Sanskrit, Manchu language, Mogolian, Tibetan and Persian

I am good at cooking Chinese food, I can teach some cooking skills especially existed in Chinese food.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Sharing the viewpoints of current and historical events, basic social science theories, langguage learning experience and interesting language knowledge.

Sharing my adventure and field trip experience and amazing stories in the inner Mongolia, Tibet, and Sinkiang of China

Cooking and eating, music and literature

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Germany, Hong Kong, Macao, Poland, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Germany, Hong Kong, United States