Zhengzhou University Students' Large-Scale Night Ride to Kaifeng Sparks Official Alarm

November 8, 2024, Zhengzhou university students suddenly embarked on a large-scale "night raid" to Kaifeng, with a convoy stretching tens of kilometers, "filled with shared bicycles" (online image).

November 9, 2024 – Recently, a large-scale night cycling trip by Zhengzhou university students to Kaifeng has drawn significant attention, peaking on the night of November 8. The convoy stretched for tens of kilometers, "filled with shared bicycles." Reports suggest that these students came from all over the country. Authorities responded with heightened security measures and warnings, alleging that foreign antagonistic forces were involved, among other claims. Netizens remarked that the new form of "special forces-style" tourism by today's youth has left officials sleepless and anxious.

Zhengzhou University Students' Night Ride to Kaifeng Goes Viral, Officials on Edge

Recently, the trend of Zhengzhou university students riding bicycles at night to Kaifeng has gone viral. Students formed groups, riding shared bicycles for five hours to the city of Kaifeng, about 50 kilometers away. After spending the night enjoying Kaifeng, they returned to Zhengzhou the next day by the Zhengzhou-Kaifeng intercity railway. The slogan "Youth has no price, night ride to Kaifeng accomplished" has spread across the internet.

Chinese media outlet Jimu News reported that on the night of November 8, the number of participants possibly peaked. That night, parts of Zhengkai Avenue heading from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng were entirely occupied by the "riding army."

 

(Video screenshot)

Unofficial reports indicated that at least over 200,000 people participated. To capitalize on the influx, major attractions in Kaifeng announced free entry for students. Local authorities increased the number of traffic police to manage the traffic and set up dedicated parking areas. The concentration of students on Zhengkai Avenue led to severe traffic congestion, prompting Zhengzhou traffic police to implement temporary road controls overnight.

(Online image)

The unexpected surge of students riding to Kaifeng put the Chinese authorities on high alert. In the early hours of November 9, the official accounts of Kaifeng posted multiple messages urging students not to gather and ride in large groups, stressing "social responsibility" and the need for "enthusiasm balanced with safety," among other concerns. On November 9, three major bike-sharing platforms—Meituan, Hello, and Qingju—issued a joint riding advisory, noting that while this form of travel is eco-friendly and economical, due to several considerations, they advised against such large-scale actions.

Comments from Weibo users included:

"They're scared of any gathering; bike-sharing bans are likely coming soon."

"Can we just let students enjoy their weekend? Now they can't go home because of night cycling."

"Personally, I support it. Years from now, when alumni reunite, they'll say, 'Did you ride to Kaifeng that year? I did. Me too. So many people did. It was lively. The journalism students had quite the fall…'"

"Firstly, there's no organizer—it’s spontaneous. Secondly, Zhengzhou universities tried to stop it but couldn't, even setting weekend exams. These are adults; you can't forbid them from leaving campus. Thirdly, there are many students from outside the region, traveling by high-speed rail, bus, or even flights to Zhengzhou. It’s not just students from Zhengzhou."

A Kaifeng resident, Mr. Xu, said, "The people of Kaifeng are very happy; everyone is excited. Everyone warmly welcomes them because this is youth, this is energy, this is vitality. Those who hesitate, who stick to dogmatic views, won't understand. Their whole life will be as dull as an ant's."

"Yesterday, the entire provincial education system held an emergency coordination meeting, and temporary traffic controls were implemented in Zhengzhou and Kaifeng. Police from both cities and universities in Zhengzhou worked overtime unexpectedly."

"It’s not just Zhengzhou; our counselors have been on duty all day these past two days, checking dorms at night."

"This probably applies to all universities in Henan Province."

Relevant videos posted on the overseas X platform sparked heated discussions:

"Last night, 200,000 university students 'raided' Kaifeng Prefecture, with traffic jams persisting past 3 a.m."

"Zhengzhou's night ride to Kaifeng—some came by plane from Shenzhen to Zhengzhou to ride to Kaifeng, others from Xi'an, Jinan, Wuhan… Ten years of promoting Zhengkai integration cannot compare to one night of student cycling."

"Tens of thousands of university students, along with Gen Y and Z adults, gathered in Zhengzhou, riding shared bicycles to Kaifeng! Rumor says 800,000 people? China's economy is collapsing! Trump effect rippling through China?"

Severe Youth Unemployment: A "Time Bomb"? Authorities' Emergency Stability Maintenance Notice Circulated Online

A purported internal notice from a university in Henan surfaced on the X platform, indicating that according to official sources, over 200,000 people participated in the night ride to Kaifeng, including bicycles, motorcycles, and cars, with many "social participants," as well as alleged "malicious anti-social individuals and foreign hostile actors" joining.

The notice also requested students who had taken leave and returned home to report back to campus by 6 a.m., ensuring non-participation in the rides except under special circumstances. It mentioned that starting November 10, bikes in Zhengzhou would be restricted from reaching Kaifeng, and Kaifeng parks would return to previous operating hours.

A netizen remarked, "The Zhengzhou university students' night ride to Kaifeng, which caught the authorities' attention, is very thought-provoking. This type of non-CCP-organized event with a shared interest demand was last seen during the White Paper Movement amid the pandemic, and before that, during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Each event has caused sleepless nights for the authorities. The reason for this is simple: students chose an affordable means of travel on shared bikes to visit free attractions, a 'special forces-style' form of tourism that's been trending in recent years."

With the Chinese economy in decline, "budget travel" has emerged, especially the "special forces-style tourism" that has gained immense popularity among young people. This form involves setting out on Friday evenings or early Saturday mornings to visit as many sights as possible with minimal time and expense, pushing physical limits like special forces.

Meanwhile, youth unemployment in China has soared, reaching a record 21.3% (ages 16-24) in June last year, prompting the authorities to stop publishing youth unemployment data at one point. Even with "improved and optimized" statistics, the nationwide urban youth unemployment rate (ages 16-24, excluding students) was still as high as 18.8% in August and remained at 17.6% in September, the second highest this year. The number of university graduates continues to rise, with 11.79 million graduates in 2024, 210,000 more than the previous year. Graduating into unemployment has become the norm.

A study conducted last year by Peking University revealed that among approximately 96 million urban residents aged 16-24 in China, about half were in school, 33 million were employed or job-seeking, and the remaining 16 million (around 17%) were unaccounted for. The study suggested that when including youths not in school, work, or training, the youth unemployment rate could be as high as 46.5%, indicating about 22 million young people were idle.

A report by the China Macroeconomic Forum, a think tank at Renmin University, stated that the youth unemployment issue may not be alleviated for a decade; "if mishandled, it could lead to other social issues in addition to economic ones, potentially sparking political conflicts."

At the end of 2022, the White Paper Movement, which called for the downfall of the CCP and Xi Jinping, ultimately forced the authorities to lift pandemic lockdown policies. The movement, which spread to universities across the country, raised concerns among the authorities, leading to post-crisis crackdowns.