Tens of thousands of people gathered to cycle between Zhengzhou and Kaifeng in central China after a social media post suggested a cheap overnight cycling tour to get dumplings went viral. The crowds caused a gridlock and prompted bike-sharing companies to suspend their services, CBS News partner network BBC News reported.
The idea for the event came from four students who made the same trip of about 30 miles this summer to get soup dumplings. It appears to stem from a trend where young people struggling with China’s tough job market are looking for cheap travel options.
“You only have one childhood. You should try a spontaneous outing with your friends,” one of the four students told local media, according to the BBC.
“Everyone was beaming with energy and interacting with the people around them. It was like going back to my student days,” another participant told the BBC.
But the popularity of the event attracted such large numbers that it even became difficult for some people to participate, with some reporting having to get off their bikes and walk through the crowd.
A student said on social media that they had joined the cycling tour but could not find a hotel room or taxi in Kaifeng due to the influx.
“I really regret going. While I was eating in a restaurant, I heard the owner criticizing students for having nothing to do… I really regret that I affected the people of Kaifeng,” the student said, according to the BBC.
The BBC reported that as traffic continued to worsen, three bike-sharing companies released a joint statement urging students to take buses or trains for long-distance journeys. Ultimately, the companies started charging extra if bicycles were taken to another city.
The traffic police closed some cycle paths in both cities last weekend.
But despite the backlash, some participants said young people in China would continue to participate in similar events.
“People are so stressed these days, so these events are a good thing. Because happiness is contagious,” one participant told the BBC.
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