Night Bike Trend Gone Wild in China

Thousands of college students in China started a sudden trend of nighttime bike rides. They rode 30 miles to Kaifeng, a city known for its history and soup dumplings. The government first liked it, thinking it would boost tourism. But when too many students joined in, causing traffic jams and leaving bikes everywhere, the officials got worried. They sent police and closed bike lanes. Some students even got in trouble for leaving their campuses. It's not the first time big groups of young people have worried Chinese leaders.

They remember past protests, like the one in Tiananmen Square. But this bike ride seemed just for fun. Most students carried flags and sang, but not to make a political point. The government changed its mind about the trend because it got too big. They even made bike-sharing apps lock bikes if ridden out of the city. Some students did it to escape job worries. One said it felt like an adventure that helped her forget her problems.

Actions