2/2

“Riding a shared bike from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng for breakfast. Youth is meant for enjoying, going wild and having endless energy,” a student rider wrote on Douyin, TikTok’s sister app in China, in a post that garnered nearly 250,000 likes.

Eager to attract more tourists and cash in on its newfound internet fame, Kaifeng went out of its way to welcome the students, including offering free entry to tourist sites.

State media also chimed in to cheer the students’ journey as showing the “passion of youth.”

“What began as a spontaneous trip for dumplings has turned into a symbol of youthful energy and the joy of shared experiences, making the early-morning streets of Henan come alive in a new and unexpected way,” said a report carried on the English website of the People’s Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party.

“I met so many people just like me along the way – some carrying flags, others with music playing, and even some singing together,” a student from Henan University toldthe People’s Daily. “When we hit an uphill climb, everyone cheered each other on. We didn’t know each other, but we felt like comrades.”

The craze – and the ensuing crackdown – has divided opinion on the Chinese internet.

Some blamed the students for overwhelming Kaifeng and causing trouble to residents. Others said local authorities should have been better prepared for the influx of students before they jumped in to promote the trend.

“The local tourism bureau wants to cash in on the trend but isn’t prepared with necessary measures,” said a comment on microblogging site Weibo.

But seeking fun or chasing discounts were not the only motivations for making the hourslong journey. For some students, it also provided a rare escape from their anxiety about the grim job market and uncertain future amid a slowing economy.

A final year university student in Zhengzhou told the state-run West China City Daily that she was so busy with job hunting that she felt trapped in a “bottomless pit.”

She went for a night ride to Kaifeng with a friend on November 3, after reading about the trend on social media.

“Night cycling feels like an adventure,” she told the newspaper, adding that all her anxiety and worries melted away as she listened to music and chatted with her friend during the journey.

“In that moment, I wished I could just keep riding and never return to reality.”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/11/china/china-kaifeng-night-bike-craze-crackdown-intl-hnk/index.html

Continued