Bike trek by thousands of Chinese students sparks tough response. 1/2
VOA News. I know CIA funded Nov. 10, 2024
Authorities in China are cracking down on a popular new fad – nighttime bike riding – after tens of thousands of students and others clogged highways and streetsbetween the cities of Zhengzhou and Kaifeng in central Henan province.
Kaifeng is known for its historic sites and famous dumplings, and the trend of making the 80-kilometer (50-mile) trekbetween the two cities peaked in popularity over the past week with some estimating that as many as 200,000 set out on a "Night Ride to Kaifeng" last Friday.
In response, schools are instituting curfews, police are shutting down bike lanes in the name of public safety andmany on social media are debating whether the mass movement was just an expression of youthful lust for life, government policy gone wrong or a subtle form of protest. Or perhaps a mix of all of the above.
In video posts on social media, =many waved Chinese flags and sang the national anthem while Kaifeng residents lined up along the route to welcome them. No anti-government or other signs or slogans could be seen==.
Some observerscompared the scale of "Night Ride to Kaifeng" gatherings to the "White Paper Movement" during the pandemic, when thousands took to the streets holding up blank sheets of paper to voice their frustration with China's stringent COVID-19 lockdowns and policies.
On the rides, one rider was seen flying a flag that read "Freedom"while others waved China's flag or held signs that read:"The reunification of the motherland is essential and inevitable."There were no protests during the rides, but when many cyclists finished the trek they abandoned their bicycles, clogging city streets.
Chen, a student in Zhengzhou who did not want to give his full name for fear of government reprisal, said he saw the cycling convoy on Nov. 8 as it left the capital.
He told VOA that while students on the surface were showing their patriotism, the overall atmosphere was rather "eerie."
"Indeed, many people were holding the [Chinese] national flag andsinging the national anthem, but they didn't look proud; instead, most of them were expressionless," Chen said. "And it wasn't even a particularly significant day, so why this display? It's very thought-provoking."
Chen said that while the students should have cycled the bikes back to Zhengzhou after reaching Kaifeng, they didn't. Bikeshare services allow users to pick up and drop off bicycles anywhere but typically they are used in a set place such as a town or city.
"My friends in Kaifeng told me that after sunrise, the city was filled with abandoned shared bikes," he said.
Online many were critical of the cyclists and the chaos the nighttime bike ride created. Others noted that Kaifeng residents welcomed the cyclists.
One Weibo user, Fan Jianchuan, said everyone has their own opinion of the trend.
"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.
Chen said that while the students should have cycled the bikes back to Zhengzhou after reaching Kaifeng, they didn't.Bikeshare services allow users to pick up and drop off bicycles anywhere but typically they are used in a set place such as a town or city.
"My friends in Kaifeng told me that after sunrise, the city was filled with abandoned shared bikes," he said.
Online many were critical of the cyclists and the chaos the nighttime bike ride created. Others noted that Kaifeng residents welcomed the cyclists.
One Weibo user, Fan Jianchuan, said everyone has their own opinion of the trend.
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