100,000 students cycle to find soup dumplings in China – sparking road blocks and crackdowns

Traffic restrictions have been imposed on a central Chinese city after thousands of people cycled en mass in search of soup dumplings.

The trend began after four college students in Zhengzhou documented their 37-mile night cycle to Kaifeng, an ancient capital famed for its soup dumplings, on social media.

Students slowly followed in their footsteps and officials in Kaifeng were pleased with the influx of tourism so encouraged more cyclists to visit by offering free entry to certain local attractions.

The state media outlet, the People’s Daily, celebrated the “surge of young travellers” to Kaifeng. They wrote: “Many students took the opportunity to explore the city’s cultural and historical attractions, bringing a fresh sense of excitement and energy to the ancient city.”

Liu Lulu, a student at Henan University, told China Daily: “People sang together and cheered for each other while climbing uphill together. I could feel the passion of the young people. And it was much more than a bike ride.”

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But the trend continued to grow until one night the riders swelled to an estimated 100,000 — dubbed the “night riding army.” Authorities were eventually forced to halt the initiative on Friday when one of the main roads between the cities became so packed that motor traffic stopped.

One local news outlet said: “Youthful freedom does not mean following the trend and indulging oneself. Kaifeng is worth arriving slowly and savouring carefully.”

Authorities then announced temporary restrictions on roads and cycle paths for the weekend and bike share apps warned they would remotely lock any bikes taken out of designated zones in Zhengzhou. Some Zhengzhou universities have also banned bikes on campuses and students now have to apply for passes to leave the grounds.

Chinese authorities have cracked down on other spontaneous gatherings before. Dali Yang, a professor at the University of Chicago who studies Chinese politics, told the New York Times that Chinese authorities struggle to manage spontaneous youth movements.

He said: “Instead of trying to find a way to channel the students’ energy, the stability-obsessed authorities simply decided the easiest way is to limit their access and mobility.”

Last month, police heavily patrolled Shanghai’s commercial centre to prevent a repeat of the 2023 Halloween celebrations, during which some partygoers wore costumes satirising topics like the stock market, youth unemployment and strict Coronavirus restrictions.