The Guardian-100000 Chinese students join 50km night-time bike ride in search of good soup dumplings
November 11, 2024 4 min 700 words
这篇报道主要描述了一群中国郑州大学的学生深夜骑行50公里去开封吃小笼包的热潮。这股热潮从四名学生的骑行开始，逐渐演变成一场有10万人参与的盛况，堵塞了主要道路，也让开封这座小城不堪重负。当局对此进行了干预，实施了临时道路和自行车道限制，并限制了共享单车的使用。文章还提到了这一骑行热潮在社交媒体上的争议，以及一些人认为媒体和当局在鼓励这种行为的同时，没有提供足够的支持和基础设施。 评论：这篇报道本身存在一定偏见，将焦点集中在骑行带来的负面影响上，如拥堵和垃圾问题，而忽略了骑行活动对促进当地旅游业发展展示年轻人活力等积极意义。此外，报道也缺乏对事件背景和原因的深入分析，没有提到骑行热潮的兴起可能与年轻人追求独特体验社交媒体的推动，以及中国骑行运动的日益流行等因素有关。报道过分强调了骑行带来的混乱，而对当地政府和学生积极应对事件寻求解决方案的努力描述不足。此外，报道也没有全面呈现事件的全貌，比如没有提到在开封住宿餐饮等行业从中获益的情况。报道在一定程度上捕风捉影，放大了负面影响，而对事件的积极一面和深层次原因缺乏客观全面的分析。
A night-time cycling trend that started with four Chinese students riding 50km for dumplings blew out to a reported 100,000 people on Friday, jamming major roads, overwhelming a small tourist city and drawing the attention of authorities.
The pack of students, mostly on public share bikes, rode several hours through Henan province from their campuses in Zhengzhou to the ancient city of Kaifeng.
“People sang together and cheered for each other while climbing uphill together,” Liu Lulu, a student at Henan University, told China Daily. “I could feel the passion of the young people. And it was much more than a bike ride.”
But Kaifeng quickly reached capacity, with accommodation, restaurants and public spaces packed to bursting, officials said. Video circulating online shows tens of thousands of cyclists filling the six-lane Zhengkai avenue, the expressway between Zhengzhou and the streets of the much smaller Kaifeng, as police used loudhailers to ask students to leave, by bike or on a free bus.
To prevent a repeat of Friday’s event, authorities announced temporary restrictions on roads and cycle paths for the weekend, and bike share apps warned they would remotely lock any bikes taken out of designated zoned in Zhengzhou.
Some Zhengzhou universities also enacted measures including banning bicycles on campuses and requiring students to apply for passes to leave the grounds.
The trend started in June when four Zhengzhou university students decided to ride several hours to Kaifeng on share bikes in search of the city’s famous oversized soup dumplings, guan tang bao. Posts from their journey gained attention on social media, launching a hashtag “youth is priceless, night ride to Kaifeng has it”.
The trend caught on, with more and more students making the journey. The wholesome and non-political activity was initially welcomed by authorities. Kaifeng, which is one of many Chinese cities trying to attract more domestic tourists, offered incentives including free entry to attractions. Official state media outlet, the People’s Daily, celebrated the “surge of young travellers” to Kaifeng, which it prematurely predicted had peaked at about 2,000 last weekend.
“Upon arriving in Kaifeng, many students took the opportunity to explore the city’s cultural and historical attractions, bringing a fresh sense of excitement and energy to the ancient city,” the paper wrote on Thursday. “These youthful adventures embody a vibrant spirit—full of curiosity, determination, and a zest for discovery—that adds new dimensions to the tourism industry.”
But that evening the number of students riding rose to a reported 17,000, and then on Friday increased as much as ten-fold, with estimates of between 100,000 and 200,000 students jamming the road.
The huge number sparked complaints, particularly from residents of Kaifeng, who said their city was overrun, and that bikes and garbage were left behind. Online many students were apologetic for the mess but defended the ride. There was strong debate over the actions of the students, the reaction of universities, and whether authorities and media had encouraged the activity without putting in place appropriate support and infrastructure.
“At the beginning, it was hyped up, but in the end it all ended in collapse and failure,” said one commenter on Weibo. “You media should reflect on yourselves. At the beginning, you all encouraged and praised this behaviour.”
The night cycling trend appears to be gaining popularity in several major Chinese cities, but none have reported crowds the size of those seen in Henan.
On Saturday some students who were still able to leave their dorms appeared determined to try again – despite the bike ban – and set off on foot.
“I followed my boyfriend on a night ride to Kaifeng, now the traffic police don’t let people go to Kaifeng by bike any more,” said one student on social media on Saturday. “There are so many bikes parked on the side of the road, and so students have started walking. It’s so good to be young, this is youth!”