Bike-sharing operations halted in Zhengzhou, leaving locals frustrated as they lament, "The sky is falling."(Online screenshot/Dajiyuan composite image)
[November 15, 2024] On November 15, a week after the "night cycling" event in Kaifeng, where tens of thousands of university students participated, Zhengzhou remains under lockdown for universities. Meituan and Hello bike-sharing services have suspended operations in Zhengzhou starting today, leaving residents struggling to commute.
Last week, between 200,000 and 300,000 university students cycled to Kaifeng with slogans like "Youth is priceless, Kaifeng is ours," creating a spectacular scene with shared bikes flooding the city. In response, authorities implemented university lockdowns in Kaifeng and Zhengzhou.
One week later, Meituan announced that due to "vehicle maintenance," its bike-sharing service in Zhengzhou would suspend operations starting at 10 AM on November 15.
Similarly, Hello stated that its suspension was due to a "system upgrade," with no specific timeline for resumption.
This sudden halt caught many Zhengzhou residents off guard, leading to an outpouring of complaints online.
User "Worker's Resentment": "Unbelievable. I went to pick up a delivery at noon and planned to ride a bike. There were over ten bikes downstairs, but Hello and Qingning bikes all showed as 'unavailable.'"
User "Pei Nan": "I rode a bike at around 11:30 AM, but after lunch, they suddenly stopped operations."
User "Internet Keyboard Warrior": "The sky is falling. My workplace is 1-2 kilometers from the subway station, and I rely on bikes to commute."
User "Anne of Green Gables": "I just bought a Meituan bike pass this morning. I’m speechless."
Some Zhengzhou netizens also expressed their frustrations:
A local resident: "What did us working folks do to deserve this? Sure, there were a lot of students involved in the night cycling event, but compared to the overall student population in Zhengzhou, they’re still a minority. Why is it that in this society, rule-followers always have to pay the price for those who don’t follow the rules?"
User 'Love Chopping Onions': "I’m done! The sky has fallen—not only can I not go home at noon, but how will I travel in the future?"
According to previously released data, Zhengzhou’s three major bike-sharing operators manage over 400,000 bicycles. After the massive night cycling event by university students on November 8, by 10 PM that evening, there wasn’t a single shared bike to be found on Zhengzhou streets. A photo of the last bike went viral on social media, capturing widespread attention.
Students: "Kaifeng Cultural Tourism, You Are Untrustworthy"
In addition to the bike-sharing companies announcing the suspension of services, Kaifeng's Qingming Riverside Park, which was originally offering free admission to university students nationwide, also announced a temporary cancellation today.
On the large electronic screen at the entrance of the Qingming Riverside Park, it was written: "Due to the high visitor volume during the Chrysanthemum Culture Festival, the number of reservations has reached its limit. To ensure everyone’s safety and provide a better tourism experience, free reservations for park entry are suspended effective immediately. We deeply apologize and ask for your understanding!"
Since the announcement was made at 3:15 PM today, a group of university students who arrived around 3:20 PM expressed great disappointment. One student complained, "Qingming Riverside Park is no longer free—why couldn’t they have announced it earlier? Even half a day’s notice would’ve helped. Now we’re all standing here dumbfounded at the entrance."
The changes at the park also attracted attention online, with some university students in Henan analyzing the situation. One remarked, "Our school also issued a sudden notice to lock down the campus. Someone must have ordered it to stop. Once they received the call, they had to comply immediately."
Some students even stated, "Kaifeng Cultural Tourism, you are untrustworthy."
Night Cycling to Kaifeng Event Halted: Experts Say CCP Fears Public Gatherings
The night cycling event to Kaifeng, involving tens of thousands of university students from Zhengzhou, sparked nationwide attention. In response, universities in Zhengzhou and Kaifeng announced campus lockdowns, conducted dorm inspections, and registered participating students. Some universities even penalized students who joined the event by deducting 20 points from their moral education scores and barring them from receiving awards or recognitions.
These measures provoked significant backlash among students. One student sarcastically commented, "Instructor, I was wrong! No more night cycling, no more hiking—I just want to go home!" Many others took to the internet, demanding to know, "When will the lockdown end?"
On November 15, Taiwanese financial expert Huang Shicong told The Epoch Times that the night cycling event by Zhengzhou university students, originally a positive activity, has now become something the authorities deeply fear.
He emphasized, "China is currently on a very fragile edge. Any minor disturbance that leads to more gatherings or sparks a social movement could have a fatal impact on the regime. As a result, the authorities are being extremely cautious, using high-pressure stability-maintenance measures to suppress even the smallest sparks."
Lai Rongwei, Executive Director of Taiwan’s Inspirational Association, also analyzed for The Epoch Times that the CCP's greatest fear is group gatherings, as they worry about losing control. "When people come together, they start whispering to each other, voicing their dissatisfaction, and forming a consensus. The CCP is deeply afraid of this kind of collective awareness developing, which could eventually lead to an uprising against the ruling regime," he said.
Senior political commentator Wang He also remarked to The Epoch Times, "The CCP has become like a startled bird, seeing danger everywhere. They interpret everything from a political and stability perspective, applying high-pressure policies. This approach alienates even those without clear political demands or expressions, pushing them to oppose the regime. It leads to widespread criticism of the CCP. This behavior is self-destructive—a path of self-inflicted ruin."
Editor: Gao Jing
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