It started as a social media trend but brought traffic gridlock between two cities.

Summary

A social media trend encouraging young people to bike 50km from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng for dumplings led to severe gridlock, with 100,000 to 200,000 cyclists overwhelming roads and bike paths.

Originally praised as a show of youthful “passion” and supported by Kaifeng officials with discounts and events, the journey turned chaotic as crowds, congestion, and limited resources strained both cities.

Police and bike rental companies intervened, warning against long-distance night rides, while some universities imposed restrictions.

This trend reflects young Chinese seeking cheap, spontaneous escapes amid economic and job pressures.

  • atro_city@fedia.io
    20·
    8 days ago

    Glorious Chinese bike infrastructure. Officials should be seeing this as a reason to invest in it.

    “As I sat in a restaurant eating my meal, I heard the owner criticising college students for having nothing else to do… I’m really sorry for affecting the people in Kaifeng,” the student wrote.

    Gets customers, complains about customers.

  • Rooskie91@discuss.onlineEnglish
    172·
    8 days ago

    So like when NYC had pokemon go? This doesn’t seem like a story worthy of international news beyond the usual China fear mongering.

    • aeronmelon@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      8 days ago

      Damn, you just made me realize that I haven’t seen any old men with seven phones bolted to the handlebar of their bicycle cruising around and randomly stopping.

      COVID executed Pokemon Go. Replaced it with Animal Crossing.

      • Halcyon@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        5·
        8 days ago

        User numbers in Pokémon Go did increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. Niantic adapted the gameplay to accommodate pandemic restrictions. These changes made the game accessible even while staying at home. And then as players looked for safe, outdoor activities to break up indoor routines, user numbers went up.