After a buzz on social networks, between 100,000 and 200,000 young Chinese wanted to rally two cities in central-eastern China on Friday evening.
The authorities were overwhelmed and traffic was completely blocked.
The price of success. The authorities of Kaifeng, this Chinese city in the province of Henan, were confronted with a rather unusual traffic jam, one formed by tens of thousands of cyclists. Coming from Zhengzhou, people flocked in hoping to be able to taste… dumplings.
The story of this improbable “buzz” began last June. Four students from Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, cycled 50 km on a Friday evening to reach Kaifeng. Renowned for being the imperial capital of the Song dynasty ten centuries ago, this city is also known for its guan tang bao. Namely a ravioli soup, the local specialty. The young girls' bike ride, broadcast on social networks, spread like wildfire.
Nuisances and blocked highways
The following week, dozens of students joined the movement. Over the weeks, the procession grew. Initially, the local authorities viewed this phenomenon favorably, making it possible to revive tourism in this centuries-old city. Except that, over the months, the other side of the coin appeared.
Waste, parking, traffic difficulties… local residents have increased their criticism. Until the situation got out of hand: Friday the 8th, there were between 100,000 and 200,000 wanting to reach Kaifeng. All six lanes of the highway connecting the two cities were blocked, according to the Guardian.
“People were singing together and cheering each other on the climbs. I could feel the passion […]it was much more than a bike ride”said a participant in the China Daily. Not sure that the latter will be able to reproduce the experience: to try to stop the phenomenon, local authorities have closed cycle paths and limited access to self-service bicycles.
