What started as a light-hearted adventure among Chinese students searching for soup dumplings has quickly evolved into a government-monitored event. Over the weekend, more than 100,000 students joined the “Night Riding Army” in Henan province, biking 37 miles from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng.
This massive night-time gathering, first popularized on social media in June, became an outlet for students facing high unemployment to explore and unwind together.
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The movement’s explosive growth led to traffic standstills on major highways and overwhelmed the small city of Kaifeng, known for its cultural history and famous soup dumplings. While state media initially praised the gatherings as “a symbol of youthful energy,” government concerns soon shifted toward fears that the movement could lead to organized dissent.
Authorities have since imposed traffic restrictions, restricted bike rentals and issued warnings at universities in an attempt to curb further gatherings.
However, some students defied government restrictions, continuing the ride by walking or using scooters to complete the journey to Kaifeng. The movement has become symbolic for many young people, who view it as one of the few ways to participate in a self-organized event in modern China.
A FLASH MOB MOVEMENT IN CHINA HAS SPARKED CONCERNS ABOUT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION… AND FEARS OF POTENTIAL UNREST.
IT STARTED AS A HARMLESS SOCIAL CRAZE… A 37-MILE BIKE RIDE FROM JUNG-JOE TO KY-FUNG IN SEARCH OF SOUP DUMPLINGS. THE MOVEMENT, CALLED THE ‘NIGHT RIDING ARMY,’ BEGAN AS YOUNG CHINESE STUDENTS, DEALING WITH RECORD YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT, TOOK TO THE STREETS FOR A NIGHT OF CHEAP ADVENTURE.
BUT AS THE TREND GREW, IT EVOLVED INTO SOMETHING MUCH LARGER, DRAWING OVER 100-THOUSAND STUDENTS AND CLOGGING MAJOR HIGHWAYS IN HENAN PROVINCE.
WHAT STARTED AS YOUTHFUL ENERGY… AND EVEN RECEIVED SOME EARLY PRAISE FROM CHINESE MEDIA… SOON TURNED INTO A POINT OF TENSION. AUTHORITIES BEGAN IMPOSING NEW TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS, SHUTTING DOWN BIKE-SHARING SERVICES, AND EVEN WARNING STUDENTS NOT TO LEAVE CAMPUS.
THE RESPONSE FOLLOWS A RECENT DEPLOYMENT OF POLICE IN SHANGHAI JUST WEEKS AGO TO DETER PUBLIC HALLOWEEN GATHERING AND CELEBRATIONS… EVEN DETAINING THOSE IN COSTUMES DEEMED ‘SUBVERSIVE’ IN AN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT A ‘SNOWBALL EFFECT’ WHERE CELEBRATION CROSSES A LINE INTO PROTEST.
STUDENTS REMAIN DETERMINED, SOME EVEN WALKING ON FOOT TO REACH KY-FUNG IN DEFIANCE OF THE GOVERNMENT’S ORDERS. FOR MANY, THIS JOURNEY HAS BECOME MORE THAN A QUEST FOR DUMPLINGS…IT’S BECOME A RARE MOMENT OF COLLECTIVE EXPRESSION.
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