In China, students traveled 60 kilometers to taste dumplings while blocking the highway in their path.
In China, thousands of students invaded the highways bike for a surprising getaway. They all came to taste local ravioliTHE guan tang bao.
Bike trip creates massive traffic jams on highway
The story began in June 2024. On social networks, four students from the University of Zhengzhou shared their cycling journey to Kaifeng durant 60 kilometers. Kaifeng is a city famous for its guan tang baoof the ravioli stuffed with soup. Quickly, this simple journey inspired thousands of other students.
During the weekend of November 8, 2024, this phenomenon clearly took on an unexpected magnitude. In total, between 100,000 and 200,000 students got on their bikes to reproduce this journey and taste the ravioli. This huge platoon of students literally paralyzed six lanes of highway connecting Zhengzhou to Kaifeng. The objective was simply to share a collective adventure and savor this famous culinary specialty.
The local authorities were aware of the craze, but they clearly did not expect such a turnout. They were forced to intervene to restore order in the face of the invasion of the highway by this procession of bicycles. With loudspeakers, the police therefore invited the students to turn back. They also offered the possibility of taking free buses specially made available to them.
A culinary adventure launched on social networks
In order to contain this massive phenomenon, preventive measures were finally established. Restrictions have now been applied to the cycle paths and roads affected by this unusual journey. Following this craze, bike sharing applications have even threatened to remotely lock bikes used in these areas. In addition, some universities have imposed pass for students wishing to leave their campus by bike.
In the end, this culinary cycling escapade shows how a viral phenomenon on social networks can quickly turn into a mass event. This gave rise to very complex logistical reactions. Even if this story makes you smile, it nevertheless highlights the challenges posed by the organization of such spontaneous movements.
Obviously, the appeal of delicious guan tang bao has only motivated hundreds of thousands of students to complete a 60 kilometer long bike ride. Such an event should not happen again anytime soon, as it is rare to see so many bicycles blocking highway lanes. In the meantime, the authorities will probably have found solutions to improve traffic flow.
Source: www.autoplus.fr
