At China Explorer Tour, we believe the most meaningful travel stories are the ones that unfold naturally. This piece looks back on our journey through 2025—a year when our ongoing effort to present a more real, lived-in China began to resonate beyond our travelers, reaching national headlines. We share this reflection as a window into the standards and values behind every journey we design.
Operating at the intersection of travel, culture, and global understanding, CET is an inbound-focused china travel agency built around depth rather than volume. Our work goes beyond itinerary planning; we help international travelers experience China as it is lived today—with context, care, and cultural clarity.
As we approach the end of 2025, China Explorer Tour (CET) has been reflecting on a year that can only be described as a milestone. While we have always been quietly passionate about creating deep, authentic travel experiences, this year, that passion caught the eye of the world’s most influential storytellers.
From national headlines to industry-shaping analysis, CET has been featured by Xinhua News, China Daily, Shenzhen Evening News, TravelDaily, and Metime.
But for us, this recognition isn’t about the fame—it’s about the trust it represents.
Beyond the Headlines: A Commitment to Authenticity
As China’s most authoritative national news agency, Xinhua News plays a central role in shaping global understanding of China.
As Xinhua reported, there is an increasing demand from foreign customers for niche tourist destinations. CET was founded by Winne Chen and Lesley Chen specifically to meet this need. As Winne shared with Xinhua:
“Tourism is not only an industry, but also a window for overseas travelers to learn about China.”
Xinhua Headlines: China’s lesser-known destinations draw more inbound tourists
We don’t just offer “tours”; we specialize in authentic food, adventure, and cultural-immersion themed retreats. In a year where “China Travel” became a global viral trend, we chose to double down on what we do best: high-touch, deep-resource journeys that bridge cultures.
Whether it was China Daily documenting how we introduce travelers to Shenzhen’s high-tech lifestyle or TravelDaily analyzing our 60% guest referral rate, the consensus was clear: travelers are no longer looking for “sightseeing”—they are looking for “soul-seeking.”
Based in China and collaborating closely with guests from around the world, CET represents a new generation of travel agency in China—one grounded in cross-cultural fluency, local expertise, and long-term perspective. This approach defined our work throughout 2025, a year when our journeys were not only experienced by travelers, but also closely observed and reported on by leading national and industry media.
Expertise Rooted in Cross-Cultural Empathy
Why does our approach work? Because our team is built on a unique foundation of Western perspectives and deep local expertise. Our founders, Lesley and Winnie, view inbound tourism as more than a business; they see it as a long-term cultural communication project. By integrating resources across China—from the remote ethnic villages of Guizhou to the Zen retreats of the high mountains—we help our guests navigate language, payment, and cultural barriers. We turn “national impressions” into personal, human connections.
As one guest from the UK, Tom, told the media after his 10-day journey: “I realized I had massively underestimated China. I’ve fallen in love with it because we went off the beaten track.” We don’t just tell you we are experts; our guests and the national press say it for us.
Looking Ahead to 2026
We are deeply grateful for the spotlight 2025 has cast upon us. It strengthens our resolve to remain the premier choice for travelers seeking a China that is authentic, vivid, and deeply personal.
As we look toward the new year, our promise remains the same: We will continue to be your most reliable window into the real China.
Ready to see the China the world is talking about?
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