Thousands of cyclists in Zhengzhou, China, gathered on the roads over the weekend to pedal through winding streets in street lamps and pedaled around 30 miles for Kaifeng City soup dumplings.
According to BBC, the quest for dumplings initially began on social media but turned into a whole event after tens of thousands of cyclists blocked the traffic between two central Chinese cities.
The idea of going to Zhengzhou for breakfast was initiated by four college students but then became a trend, attracting a large number of young students to do this adventure on a bicycle.
One of the four students told local media, “You only have one youth. You have to try a spontaneous trip with your friends.”
The pilgrimage began in June 2024, when several female students took advantage of warm weather and cycled more than 50 kilometers from Zhengzhou to China's ancient capitals for soup dumplings.
But this weekend thousands joined the 'Night Riding Army', blocking the main roads and causing huge traffic jams in two cities.
But the youth thoroughly enjoyed the trip, as a participant told BBC, “Everyone was beaming with energy and interacting with people around them. It was like going back to my college days.”
The 20-year-old Xia Tian said, “I've been feeling a bit down and anxious lately, and when I saw a night cycling event, it looked so spirited and free. I decided to tell my friend and join in and unwind.”
Meanwhile, the authorities initially welcomed the initiative, but when it turned into chaos and sparked safety concerns, the provincial police on Saturday, November 9, 2024, said that "due to its occupation by shared bikes and other objects at various points," the roads would be blocked for non-motorised vehicles from 4 p.m. to midday on Sunday.
