China’s ‘Night Riding Army’ snarls traffic on quest for soup dumplings

‘We wanted to join in the craziness’

Ji Pengbo, a 19-year-old freshman studying architectural engineering technology in Zhengzhou, said he and two friends joined the night ride after class Friday after seeing the trend on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

In particular, the event slogan — “Youth is priceless” — propelled him to join, Ji said. “It all seemed so wild, and we wanted to join in the craziness too!”

Along the way, Ji said, were a legion of other university students but also police officers maintaining order and some people providing water for free.

“Riding all the way to Kaifeng in the cool evening breeze, I felt the exhilaration of speed. Around me, I could hear the cheers of fellow riders, the hum of the wheels, and the sound of our breathing,” Ji said in an interview Monday.

“Some people fell but got back up and kept riding,” he said.

But that feeling may have been short-lived.

On Saturday afternoon, police in Henan imposed traffic limits.

They closed nonmotorized lanes on the major avenue linking the two cities until noon Sunday, citing safety concerns.

The same day, the three largest bike-sharing platforms in China urged users to not ride the vehicles in Zhengzhou beyond its operating areas, including Kaifeng.