In June, four college students in China sparked a trend after they chronicled on social media their evening ride to gorge on dumplings in a nearby city.
The riders travelled on a straight road more than 60km long beside the Yellow River that links Zhengzhou, the largest city in Henan province, with Kaifeng, an ancient capital famed for its soup dumplings.
The activity went viral among young people, with images of more recent rides showing a multi-lane motorway linking the two cities crammed with thousands of cyclists, some straddling brightly coloured shared bikes — dubbed the “Night Riding Great Army”.
Key to its success was a glut of shared bikes, which can be rented for as little as $2.95 a month.
Authorities initially welcomed the wholesome revelry, but later imposed traffic restrictions after the sheer number of participants brought traffic chaos and safety concerns.
Chinese authorities have cracked down on a viral internet trend that saw thousands of cyclists create chaos along a highway. Source: AFP / Stringer
‘Wilful whimsy of youth’
The provincial police closed the road to non-motorised vehicles “due to its occupation by shared bikes and other objects at various points”.
The Kaifeng city government cited the risk of riders falling and being injured, or blocking other road users from accessing medical care.
“(You) have demonstrated the wilful whimsy of youth,” it said in a statement, “but … more and more people are starting to worry about the hidden dangers.”
The internet trend took off because of an abundance of shared bikes, which can be rented for as little as $2.95 a month. Source: AFP / Stringer
Three major bike share companies said they would impose new local geographic restrictions, adding that the vehicles would lock automatically if riders kept travelling in prohibited areas.
Chinese media told the students to grow up.
“Youthful freedom does not mean following the trend and indulging oneself,” one news outlet said.
“Kaifeng is worth arriving slowly and savouring carefully,” read the headline of another.
‘Only going to be young once’
Many riders had documented their trips on social media.
“There were so many people on the road even before we started riding,” read a caption on a video on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.
“We’re only going to be young once, guys. Life’s hardships are also what give it some spice!” it added.
“Last night’s ‘Night Riding Army’ was spectacular!” one rider posted. “Two lanes were opened, but that simply was not enough: The cycling army accounted for four!”
Viral social media trends in China
Chinese social media trends have driven 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 the jobs that are available, or feeling trapped in its intense work culture.
Other cities briefly in the spotlight for their quirky barbecue style or delicious hotpot have also rushed to cash in before their online fame runs out.
Chinese authorities have cracked down on other spontaneous gatherings.
Last month, police turned out in force in the commercial hub of Shanghai to deter a repeat of 2023 Halloween celebrations in which some revellers wore costumes poking fun at issues such as the stock market, youth unemployment and tough COVID-19 curbs.
