On the night of Friday 8 November, traffic heading east from Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, came to a standstill.
The main highway connecting Zhengzhou to the neighbouring historic town of Kaifeng (开封) was gridlocked for hours, overwhelmed by a massive influx of cyclists and onlookers.
One driver stuck in the traffic shared their experience::
"There were people biking, riding motorcycles, walking, and even just watching. There were so many of them! It was impossible to move!"
“一路有骑自行车的，有骑摩托的，还有徒步的，另外还有看热闹的，人太多了！完全走不动！” [2]
According to media reports, nearly 20,000 people, mostly students, participated in the spontaneous night cycling event, riding rental bikes to Kaifeng.
The influx of people and shared bikes heading toward Kaifeng became so overwhelming that Kaifeng authorities had to issue a statement which read "Youth needs passion, but safety is more important", encouraging riders not to gather in large groups.
大量的人员和共享单车往开封集中，又让开封不堪重负，官方不得不发出“青春要passion（激情），更要平安”的声音，倡导骑行不要扎堆。[1]
The "Kaifeng night cycling" trend (夜骑开封) began in June when four students biked to the city to seek out its famous guantang bao (灌汤包) dumplings. They set off at 7pm from Zhengzhou, cycled 50 km, and arrived three hours later to enjoy the delicious dumplings. And then shared their experience on social media.
Since then, as the trend took off, images of similar nighttime bike trips have spread widely online.
At first, Kaifeng's tourism department embraced the trend, seeing it as a chance to boost local tourism. Eager to capture the wave of “night cycling warriors” (夜骑特种兵), the authorities adopted policies inspired by recent viral tourism successes in cities like Harbin 哈尔滨 and Zibo 淄博, offering free entry to certain tourist attractions, for example, while restaurants gave discounts specifically to students who had cycling from Zhengzhou.
However, the 8th November gathering was totally unprecedented.
Social media posts on 5th and 6th hinted that thousands of students, including many from other cities, were planning to join in:
“On the night of November 8th, Zhengkai Avenue will witness the most people, the most bikes, and the most youth it has ever seen.
University students from all over the country will gather in Zhengzhou for a night bike ride to Kaifeng, with an estimated turnout of over 100,000.”
“11月8日晚郑开大道将迎来有史以来人最多、车最多、青春最多的一夜。”不少大学生跟评要从外地赶来参与，全国各地大学生聚集郑州，夜骑单车奔驰开封，估计人数十万之多。” [1]
By nightfall on the Friday, an "army of cyclists" (骑行大军) on shared bikes stretched for miles along Zhengkai Avenue, the road linking Zhengzhou and Kaifeng, with parts of the route completely overtaken.
In response, Zhengzhou's traffic bureau issued a notice on 9th November, putting bike lane restrictions in place, citing safety reasons. A temporary ban on non-motor vehicles was enforced on the Zhengzhou section of Zhengkai Avenue from 4pm on 9th to midday on 10th.
So while the culture and tourism authorities warmly welcomed the influx of people, the transport authorities eventually firmly opposed it.
Meanwhile, local bike-sharing companies struggled to clear the streets of the thousands of bikes left behind. As one worker put it:
"I can’t finish collecting them, I just can’t! I could spend an entire day on it and still not be done!"
“拉不完，根本拉不完！我拉一天都拉不完！” [2]
What started as a small, spontaneous ride to Kaifeng transformed into a social movement, with young people seizing the moment to express their passion and embrace a sense of freedom—even if only briefly.
However, as with many destinations propelled to fame by viral trends in China, the sheer scale and swelling crowds eventually became completely overwhelming.
So, that’s what we’re exploring this week!.
🎧 Podcast Preview: Opinions in Kaifeng and Zhengzhou were divided over the night riding trend. Some celebrated it as a symbol of youth and freedom, while others criticised it for causing safety risks and public inconvenience. Confusingly, the same phrases are often used to describe the phenomenon, regardless of the sentiment—but their meanings shift dramatically depending on the context! Terms like 肆意 (sìyì), 凑热闹 (còu rènào), and 风 (fēng) can convey entirely different ideas. Tune in at the 6-minute mark to discover how to use these phrases to express your opinion accurately and naturally!
Favourite Five
1. 扎堆 zhā duī
to gather in groups, flock together
此次大面积拥堵，源于郑州大学生扎堆夜骑开封的活动 - This large-scale traffic jam was the result of the night cycling to Kaifeng led by university students in Zhengzhou. [1]
2. 特种兵 tè zhǒng bīng
special forces, intense activity that only special forces go through
开封文旅部门想接住这波“夜骑特种兵”流量 - Kaifeng's culture and tourism department wants to capitalize on the “night cycling warriors” trend. [2]
3. 源源不断 yuán yuán bú duàn
in an endless stream, continuously
有举旗的、喊口号的，除了共享单车，还有电动自行车，浩浩荡荡，源源不断 - There were people waving flags, chanting slogans, riding not only shared bicycles but also electric bikes, forming an endless and massive stream. [1]
4. 泼天流量 pō tiān liú liàng
torrential flow of (web) traffic
曾经淄博迎接泼天流量的“一盘棋”做法被各大城市拼命抄作业 - Zibo's “master strategy” to handle a torrential flow of traffic has been eagerly imitated by various cities. [2]
5. 心血来潮 xīn xuè lái cháo
impulsive
“夜骑开封”火了，但在“网红跟风年代”，一波学生心血来潮穷游骑行带来的GDP收入注定是短期的，对本地人影响却是实实在在的 - "Night cycling to Kaifeng" has gone viral, but in this age where people blindly follow the trend, the contribution to GDP from a wave of students' spontaneous budget cycling trips is destined to be short-term, while the impact on the locals is real and tangible.
More: Read more about the grim origins of this in tomorrow's Sinica Phrase of the Week.
Consuming the Conversation
Useful words
6. 火 huǒ
popular, trending
他此次骑行是因为网上“大学生夜骑开封”的话题很火，所以再次来体验 - He came for another ride because the topic of "university students night cycling to Kaifeng" went viral online. [1]
7. 壮观 zhuàng guān
magnificent, spectacular
停下车辆，王都下车来到桥边，才看到壮观的一幕 - Wang Du parked his car, got out, and saw a spectacular scene when he went to the bridge. [1]
8. 激情 jī qíng
passion
文章里倡议大学生要激情更要平安，并号召大学生不要扎堆夜骑 - The article encourages university students to have passion but also watch out for safety, urging them to avoid group night cycling. [1]
9. 风潮 fēng cháo
trend
“夜骑开封”的风潮到底因谁而起 - Who started the trend of "night cycling to Kaifeng"? [1]
10. 朝气 zhāo qì
youthful energy, youthfulness
一面墙上印着“青春”两个字，满满年轻的朝气 - The word “youth” on a wall exuberates buoyant energy. [1]
11. 轻盈 qīng yíng
light, carefree
仅仅是快乐，纯粹的、稀缺的、轻盈的快乐 - It’s just happiness—pure, rare, and carefree. [3]
12. 肆意 sì yì
reckless, unrestrained
在热血肆意的骑行开封背后，是不是也有着不为人知的压抑和苦闷呢 - Behind the passionate and unrestrained night cycling to Kaifeng, could there be hidden oppression and frustration? [3]
Note: This can have positive and negative connotations depending on the context. We discuss more in the Member Podcast!
Three character phrases
13. 凑热闹 còu rè nao
to join in the fun
不仅仅是大学生，更多的人想来“凑热闹”了，想来参与和见证这场庞大的骑行活动 - Not only university students, others also wanted to join in the fun and witness this massive cycling event. [1]
Note: A phrase with positive and negative uses, depending on the context! We discuss in the Member Podcast.
14. 唱反调 chàng fǎn diào
to disagree or counter
未曾想的是交通管理部门却突然唱了“反调” - Unexpectedly, the traffic management department suddenly took a contrary stance. [2]
Idioms
15. 四仰八叉 sì yǎng bā chā
sprawled out in all directions
有的穿上汉服选景拍照，还有的四仰八叉地躺在草地上、条凳上呼呼大睡 - Some dressed in Hanfu to pose for photos, while others sprawled out on the grass and benches, sleeping soundly. [1]
16. 摩拳擦掌 mó quán cā zhǎng
eager to start, raring to go
当更多学生摩拳擦掌，未曾想的是交通管理部门却突然唱了“反调” - As more students were raring to go, the traffic management department unexpectedly took a contrary stance. [2]
17. 方兴未艾 fāng xīng wèi ài
flourishing, still growing
这波方兴未艾的大学生旅游热潮形成了一个有趣局面：文旅高调欢迎，交通无情反对 - This flourishing wave of university student tourism created an interesting situation: tourism department welcomed it, while traffic management opposed it. [2]
18. 天经地义 tiān jīng dì yì
as it should be, perfectly justified
这套“淄博逻辑”直到今年5月山东菏泽郭有才爆火前都被视作天经地义 - This “Zibo approach” was considered the way to be until Guo Youcai from Shandong Heze went viral this May. [2]
19. 酒囊饭袋 jiǔ náng fàn dài
good-for-nothing, "wine sack and food bag"
此类争论被华侨大学一教师评论夜骑开封大学生为“酒囊饭袋”彻底点燃 - This debate became heated when a teacher from Huaqiao University called the university students who night cycled to Kaifeng “good-for-nothing”. [2]
20. 蜂拥而至 fēng yōng ér zhì
to swarm in
当地居民往往不满于蜂拥而至的游客，推高了当地的消费水平 - Local residents often resent the swarms of tourists that drive up the cost of living. [2]
Related:
成千上万 chéng qiān shàng wàn - thousands upon thousands
21. 慷慨激昂 kāng kǎi jī áng
impassioned, high-spirited
镜头中的每一个人都慷慨激昂，笑得那么开心 - Everyone in the footage looked impassioned with a big smile on their face. [3]
22. 殊途同归 shū tú tóng guī
different paths leading to the same destination
夜骑开封，其实和万圣节更像，它们是快乐的不同版本，却都殊途同归 - Night cycling to Kaifeng is similar to Halloween; they took different forms but ultimately are an expression of happiness. [3]
23. 乐此不疲 lè cǐ bù pí
to delight in something without tiring
成千上万的年轻人，要走出生活的轨道，骑行在路上，且只为了骑行在路上，旷日持久，乐此不疲 - Tens of thousands of young people want to step out of their daily routines, cycle on the road purely for the joy of cycling for hours and never get tired of it. [3]
Phrases
24. 无处下脚 wú chù xià jiǎo
no place to step
一夜之间开封成了共享单车的海洋，简直无处下脚 - Overnight, Kaifeng became a sea of shared bicycles, so crowded that one can barely walk. [2]
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