Serena Zhou

Chinese Name: Zhou Jing

Serena at Erhai Lake, Dali, Yunnan  Go to Serena's Album

Date of Birth: Sep. 3, 1984
Place of Birth: Yanliang, Xi'an, Shaanxi
Chinese Zodiac Sign: Rat
Western Astrological Sign: Virgo
Nationality: Han Chinese
Language: Chinese (Mandarin, Shaanxi and Henan dialects), English
Favorite Food: local snacks of Xi'an like cold rice noodles, Shaanxi sandwich, streamed buns stuffed with hot gravy.
Favorite Plant: Lavender
Favorite Colors: white, blue, purple
 I was born and raised in Yanliang, a suburban district of Xi'an, a time-honored city with over 1,100 years as the capital of ancient Chinese dynasties, like Qin (221 – 207 BC), Han (206 BC – 220 AD) and Tang (618 – 908). Yanliang has amazing historical relics and although very small it is a hi-tech industrial base. Xi'an Aircraft Industry Company, Aircraft Design Institute and Flight Test Establishment are located here so it is the ideal place for aviation fans, like me, to live.
 In elementary school and middle school my favorite subject was Chinese. For the excellent and unique style of writing Chinese compositions and a dulcet voice, I was always a popular hostess, speaker and reciter in school. After 12 years of study in Yanliang, I decided to go to Hunan University in Changsha, which is over 1,000 kilometers (about 621 miles) away from my hometown. As English major, I practiced not only the language, but also the ability in detecting, considering and solving problems by myself.
 After graduation, I worked in Shenzhen for a few months although I didn’t like it and I chose to move back to Xi'an and around this time I joined TravelChinaGuide.com, an outstanding English travel website introducing foreign tourists to China. I have been working in the customer support center since 2006 and it is my responsibility to always have a warm attitude towards customers and use my travel knowledge to make all of our customers’ tour smooth, pleasant and memorable. I love my job as it allows me to work with a global community without leaving China.
 Generally I’m somewhat quiet and shy around unfamiliar people, but vibrant and talkative with close friends. I am considerate person, with a creative streak and an eye for detail.

I have some hobbies including traveling, singing, pencil sketching and traditional calligraphy. Music is a great relaxation after work and I like to listen to both classical and pop music. Bach and Schubert are my favorite composers while Adele and Beyonce are my favorite pop singers.
 I love traveling and I have been to many popular destinations in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou, Chongqing, Wuhan, Suzhou, and Pingyao. I enjoy the attractions of cultural interest which embody the wisdom of human beings. I like Beijing very much there is historical sights like the Great Wall and Forbidden City, as well as the special charm of the old residential form of hutongs and courtyards. And then there is the beautiful Xi'an where you can get up close to the ancient Chinese civilization.