BEIJING: Chinese police have cracked down on an internet craze that saw thousands of cyclists throng a highway under cover of night to gorge on dumplings in a nearby city.

University students sparked the trend weeks ago when they posted on social media about an evening ride from the central city of Zhengzhou to Kaifeng, around 80 kilometres away, to enjoy some famous local soup dumplings, according to state media.

The activity went viral, with images of more recent rides showing a multi-lane motorway linking the two cities crammed with thousands of cyclists, some straddling brightly coloured shared bikes — dubbed the “Night Riding Great Army”.

Authorities initially welcomed the wholesome revelry, but later imposed traffic restrictions after the sheer number of participants prompted traffic chaos and safety concerns.

An online statement from the provincial police on Saturday said the road would be “closed to non-motorised vehicles” from 4pm to midday on Sunday “due to its occupation by shared bikes and other objects at various points”.

In a separate statement, the Kaifeng city government cited the risk of riders falling and sustaining injuries, or blocking other road users from accessing medical care. “(You) have demonstrated the wilful whimsy of youth,” it said, “but... more and more people are starting to worry about the hidden dangers”.

Three major shared bike companies said on Saturday that they would impose new local geographic restrictions, adding that the vehicles would lock automatically if riders persisted in travelling in prohibited areas. Many riders had documented their trips on social media.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2024