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"Students, parents, teachers, local residents, tourism bureaus, police departments, traffic police, education bureaus, urban management, municipal authorities, shared bike companies, tourist spots, restaurants and so on all have their own perspectives and statements on it," Fan wrote.
"As someone who was once young, I understand the enthusiasm of youth. If I were a university student, I would join my classmates for a carefree ride too.But as an experienced "mayor" (honorary), I am more concerned with public order, public safety, public transportation and public hygiene. So, there's no problem with cycling as long as it's done in an orderly manner."
The night cycling activity has been fully halted, and many universitiesin Henan have implemented curfews, sparking strong backlash among students.
Several universities in Henannotified students to return to campus by a set deadline and announced lockdown measures prohibiting students from leaving. Some universities informed students that the Henan Provincial Department of Education and school administratorsbelieved a large number of people and even "anti-social elements" or "foreign adversaries" had joined last week's night ride.
There were alsounsubstantiated claims circulating on China's social media that authorities characterized the students' actions as a "political movement," and some universities compared the night ride to the past "riots in Hong Kong."
To "cool down" the situation, many universities in Henan reportedly imposed strict closed management, with some even implementing full lockdowns, according to social media posts on Weibo and X. Online posts suggested that Henan University of Engineering introduced a temporary exit pass system that bars students from leaving campus unless absolutely necessary.
Staff at Henan Institute of Economics and Trade told VOAthat parents need to contact school counselors for students to gain approval to leave campus. The Henan Provincial Department of Education did not answer the phone when VOA reached out for comment.
A graduate student from Shandong, surnamed Sun, criticized the response from Henan universities saying it was as if they were returning to pandemic-style lockdown measures. Sun did not want to give his full name while speaking freely to foreign media.
"The school's management during the pandemic actually created many aftereffects. Every student had to scan their face to leave, which certainly made students uncomfortable. Why should I be subjected to this control just for going off-campus? The school's management is irrational and lacks justification."
On Nov. 9, traffic police in Zhengzhou and Kaifeng issued noticestemporarily banning nonmotorized vehicles on Zhengkai Avenue— a main road that links the two cities. They also cited the need to clear roads occupied by shared bikes and other items to ensure safe passage.
Henan's three major bike-sharing platforms, Hello, Qingju and Meituan, have announced that users may "not ride beyond designated areas." If a user exceeds a set time limit, the bike will be automatically locked and a dispatch fee will be applied, according to regulations, the companies said in statements posted online.
Despite the government lockdown, some students say they feel proud when recalling their participation in the "Night Ride to Kaifeng."
In a post on Weibo, HH's Spiritual Wilderness wrote: "This journey might be absurd, but I'm glad we have the courage to go whenever we feel like it. After all, we'll never be younger than we were yesterday.I dedicate this absurd trip to the memory of my irretrievable twenties. 2024.11.8-9 #NightRideToKaifeng#"
https://www.voanews.com/a/bike-trek-by-thousands-of-chinese-students-sparks-tough-response/7862413.html