Thousands Of Chinese College Students Are Joining A Mass Night Bike Ride To Go Eat A Famous Soup Dumpling
The trend, known as the "Night Riding Army," started in June after four women students from Zhengzhou decided to bike to Kaifeng at night to enjoy the city’s famous soup dumplings in the morning.
Tens of thousands of college students in China rode their bikes 50 kilometers from Zhengzhou in Henan province to another city, Kaifeng, on the evening of Friday, Nov. 8 in order to try the city’s famous soup dumplings.
Videos making the rounds on social media showed thousands of students riding together along Zhengkai Avenue, the main road linking Zhengzhou and Kaifeng, the national anthem and waving flags while navigating through traffic.
The trend, known as the "Night Riding Army," started in June after four women students from Zhengzhou decided to bike to Kaifeng at night to enjoy the city’s famous soup dumplings in the morning, according to local TV reports.
The trend quickly gained attention online, and more people, mostly college students, began joining the night rides.
Several tourist spots in Kaifeng and people on social media began to promote the main slogan of the trend, “The Night Ride to Kaifeng: Youth is priceless; enjoy it in time.”
To support the trend, the city of Kaifeng even set up special night-riding routes and offered free tickets to attractions like Qingming Riverside Garden and Wansui Mountain Martial Arts City.
With the local government’s support, the event reached its peak on Nov. 8, attracting up to 200,000 participants.
However, the massive number of cyclists caused traffic jams and chaos in Kaifeng.
The swarm of cyclists also caused shared bikes to be parked at wrong places and created a shortage of available bikes for Zhengzhou residents the next day, according to Reuters.
Local authorities then called for the night rides to be suspended due to the disruption.
Traffic control departments in both Zhengzhou and Kaifeng issued temporary bans on non-motorized vehicles along certain roads, particularly along Zhengkai Avenue, to manage the congestion and ensure public safety.
Additionally, many universities in Zhengzhou also restricted student travel, with some institutions advising students not to participate in the night rides due to safety concerns.
Even major bike-sharing providers in China said riders will not be allowed to ride beyond designated areas.
If a participant exceeds the time limit or travels outside the designated areas, their bike will automatically lock and they will also be charged a "dispatch fee" for relocation.
Public opinion on the trend was mixed.
Some saw it as a way for students to escape the stress of job hunting and economic uncertainty. Others believed it was a way for young people to escape and release their pent-up emotions after years of COVID-19 restrictions and afterChinese police cracked down on events like Halloween just a month earlier.
On the other hand, some people were disappointed about the traffic congestion, litter and bike shortages caused by the rides.
Despite the restrictions, students in other cities like Tianjin, Nanjing and Chengdu still joined local cycling events.
Additionally, some students in Zhengzhou even chose to walk to Kaifeng instead of cycling due to the restrictions.
Analysts also say the government is cracking down on the idea of the night ride, which might carry a rebellious meaning and pose political concerns given China's history of sensitivity to youth movements.
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