We are a team of local Chinese history, travel, culinary, and hiking enthusiasts who look forward to sharing our exciting home city of Beijing and the Chinese culture we grew up in with you.
TONY CHEN
Tony Chen, a native Beijinger, founded Stretch-a-leg Travel in 2006 after spending six months in New Zealand and realizing Beijing did not have any companies providing historical walking tours similar to the ones he joined in abroad.
Prior to founding Stretch-a-leg Travel, Tony had extensive work experience in China’s adventure travel industry working as a group leader for small group adventure travel companies such as Intrepid (AUS), REI (USA) and World Expeditions (AUS) for six years. He led groups on 28-day trips to 10 cities, 13 day cross-country biking trips from southern China to Vietnam, and trips retracing the ancient Silk Road.
An avid traveler, Tony has spent much of his time outside running Stretch-a-leg and exploring Beijing trying to understand the expectations and perspectives of his clients and their own cultures during his personal travels to North America, Europe, South America, Central Asia, and throughout Northeast and Southeast Asia. One particular experience he cherishes was the chance to hike Hadrian’s Wall in Britain and compare that experience to hiking China’s Great Wall.
Born and raised in Beijing, Tony is passionate about the history of this city and would like to share with you what he knows about Beijing and about China itself.
KATRINA LIU
Katrina Liu joined the Stretch-a-leg Team soon after she graduated from the Xi’an Translation Institute in 2007. After moving to Beijing, Katrina became fascinated by Beijing’s rich history and its cultural background. Combining her interest in Beijing with her passion for travel, superb English, great sense of humor and her readiness to adapt to the needs of her clients, Katrina is a top-rate guide.
LAURA ZHAO
Laura joins the Stretch-a-leg team after leading English language tours with the national China Travel Service Head Office for two years and then for two years with another Beijing based international travel company. Earning a degree in English and International Relations from Xi'an Translators University, Laura not only brings excellent English skills to our team, but also a great spirit of adventure, curiosity, and a special ability to understand each clients' specific interests.
JONATHAN ZHANG
Jonathan joins Stretch-a-leg after working as a veteran guide and translator in Beijing for over 11 years. Jonathan brings the authority, knowledge, and instinctive ability to relate to clients that only comes with the experience gained from working at top tour companies, VIP events, and with international clients over a long time. Past experience highlights include working as a translator at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the landmark Fendi fashion show on the Great Wall, personal guide to Ms. Silvia Fendi, acclaimed American actress Ms. Glenn Close, and the city mayors of Lacey & Olympia, WA, USA. We are thrilled to have Jonathan on board to not only offer his extensive experience guiding guests in Beijing, but also to his personal passion of sharing Beijing and Chinese culture with people from different cultures.
JEAN LI
A highly experienced guide in the Chinese travel industry for more than 10 years, Jean Li brings her insatiable curiosity and talent for engaging with clients to Stretch-a-leg. A native of Yunnan, Jean has been working as the guide in Beijing since 2000. She has worked for the clients from Wild China, Thomson Family Adventures, Natural Habitat Adventures, Ultimate Travel Company, Wilderness Travel, Grey Line Private Tours, and China International Travel Service (CITS). Jean has a knack for making anyone feel instantly comfortable around her, seeking out all the why’s behind any fact or story, and out hiking anyone. We are thrilled to have Jean on our team.
HENRY WANG
Henry joins Stretch-a-leg with over 5 years of experience leading English-language tours. A native Beijinger, Henry has shared his hometown with guests from all over the world, including Luxembourgish royalty! While earning his degree in English from Beijing International Studies University, Henry went above and beyond his classroom study, hosting the weekly English corner and English themed events. Henry employs his excellent language skills as a guide to help Stretch-a-leg travelers make sense of what they are seeing and experiencing in China. A natural story teller with a curious mind, Henry balances bringing China's vast history and complex culture to life while anticipating clients' needs and expectations. We are proud to make Henry's talents available to Stretch-a-leg's discerning clients.
YANG, OFFICE MANAGER
Yang ensures that from the moment of initial contact with Stretch-a-leg, your experience with us is gracious, professional, thorough, and personalized. As Stretch-a-leg's awesome office manager, Yang handles all tour inquiries and coordinates trip and tour logistics. After graduating with a master's degree in International Economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam, Yang started working in China, hoping to contribute to the development of Stretch-a-Leg in providing tour experiences that offer more than other tour companies. We are excited to have Yang's superb level of customer service, attention to detail, and management skills as the first face of Stretch-a-leg.
