Chinese police have cracked down on an internet craze that saw thousands of cyclists crowd a road under the cover of night to gorge on dumplings in a nearby town, after local government officials were spooked by the gathering massive.
University students sparked the trend weeks ago when they posted on social media about an overnight trip from the central city of Zhengzhou to Kaifeng, about 50 miles away, to enjoy some famous local dumpling soups, according to state media.
The activity went viral, with images of more recent rides showing a multi-lane highway linking the two cities packed with thousands of cyclists, some of them riding brightly colored shared bikes, dubbed the “Great Army of Night Rides.” .
Authorities, who have long feared that young people would gather en masse, initially welcomed the healthy revelry but later imposed traffic restrictions, citing traffic chaos and safety concerns.
An online statement from provincial police on Saturday said the road would be “closed to non-motorized vehicles” from 4 p.m. to noon on Sunday “due to its occupancy by shared bicycles and other objects at various points.”
University students sparked the trend weeks ago when they posted on social media about an overnight trip from the central city of Zhengzhou to Kaifeng, about 50 miles away, to enjoy some famous local soup dumplings.
The activity went viral, with images of more recent rides showing a multi-lane highway linking the two cities packed with thousands of cyclists.
China under Xi Jinping (pictured) has long feared mass mobilization of young people.
In a separate statement, the Kaifeng city government cited the risk of cyclists falling and suffering injuries, or preventing other road users from accessing medical care.
“(You) have demonstrated the capricious will of youth,” it said, “but… more and more people are beginning to worry about hidden dangers.”
Three major bike-sharing companies said Saturday they would impose new local geographic restrictions, adding that vehicles would be automatically blocked if riders persisted in riding in prohibited areas.
Many cyclists had documented their trips on social media.
“There were so many people on the road before we even started traveling,” reads the caption of a video on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.
Authorities, who have long feared that young people would gather en masse, initially welcomed the healthy revelry but later imposed traffic restrictions, citing traffic chaos and safety concerns.
‘We’ll only be young once, boys. The difficulties of life are also what give it some spice!’ he added.
Chinese social media trends have fueled a youthful embrace of cheap travel in recent years, such as “special forces tourism,” where people pack as many sights as possible into extremely tight schedules.
The country has struggled to reverse an economic slowdown that has left millions of young people struggling to find work, overqualified for available jobs or feeling trapped in its intense work culture.
Other cities that were briefly in the spotlight for their quirky style of barbecue or delicious stew have also been quick to cash in before their online fame fades.