It all started in June when four university friends in the city of Zhengzhou decided to cycle 50km to Kaifeng in order to eat that city’s famous soup dumplings. Their social-media posts about the journey garnered attention. Soon a trend had developed. Hordes of students began making the night-time ride between Zhengzhou and Kaifeng. At first the government encouraged the activity. “A symbol of youthful energy and the joy of shared experiences”, the official People’s Daily called it. By earlier this month, though, the number of cyclists had grown into the tens of thousands. Big spontaneous gatherings of young people make officials nervous. So the local authorities shut things down, citing traffic disruptions and safety concerns. Some indefatigable former riders now say they will set out on foot. ■
The Economist
