Chinese Airbnb rival Tujia raises $300 million

Chinese vacation rental service Tujia has raised $300 million in new funding led by Ctrip and All-Stars Investment, valuing the company at $1.5 billion.

Why it matters: Airbnb has been doubling its China investment and quadrupling its engineering team, but the country had proven nearly impossible for U.S. consumer tech companies to crack, especially when facing local rivals like Truja (e.g., Uber and Didi Chuxing).

Next: The Airbnb-Tujia rivalry also will go beyond China, into nearby markets like Japan, where Tujia plans to increase its market size, according to Bloomberg.

Go deeper: It's not entirely clear yet whether Airbnb is suited to China's market and customs—or whether it'll adapt. Tech in Asia and WSJ explain the differences..