Hello everyone, welcome to the News Quintet. Today’s co-hosts are Qin Peng, Jin Shi, Fu Yao, and others. With five different perspectives colliding, we aim to bring you into the diverse world of news. Feel free to subscribe to and like our independent channel.
Today’s focus: Thousands of students riding bikes for the sake of “food and faraway places.” Is youth priceless, or is the allure of soup dumplings strong enough to define a generation? Authorities in panic as schools face closures once again. A certain group being overlooked yet serving as the main force in sports. Over 440 million people have now declared their three withdrawals.
Recently, a bike riding trend among students has emerged in mainland China, sparked by four female university students in Zhengzhou. These four students decided to ride 50 kilometers to Kaifeng for some delicious soup dumplings after class. What started as a simple outing evolved into a social phenomenon drawing participation from tens of thousands of university students who embarked on similar late-night rides to various destinations like Beijing. It’s akin to a spontaneous trip young people often talk about.
In the eyes of some scholars, this phenomenon represents a grand spectacle with its own modern relevance and significance.
Q1, Qin Yue, Qin Peng, have you tried these soup dumplings? Are they delicious? Does food truly wield such great temptation?
Qin Yue: I have tried soup dumplings, just not from Kaifeng. I do believe food holds immense allure, as I am someone currently under its spell. While I used to focus on the taste and flavors of food, now I value the ritual and health experience it offers. Of course, the prerequisite is that the food itself is delicious. I know a Taiwanese lady who, during her struggling years, cherished eating duck neck the most. Now, with a better life, she has a stockpile of frozen duck necks in her fridge. It goes to show that food has a significant impact on people.
Qin Peng: Soup dumplings are a gem of Chinese cuisine. They are like works of art, with paper-thin skin that bursts with flavor yet retains its elasticity. It takes skill to eat without breaking them, and the experience of savoring one is delightful. The soup inside is fresh, pure, rich, and not greasy, thanks to the soup being frozen inside the skin. It combines noodles, meat, and soup into a harmonious trio.
Soup dumplings also boast a rich cultural history. Do you know why those girls went to Kaifeng? It’s because the tradition of small steamed buns can be traced back to the Northern Song Dynasty, eventually evolving into various types of buns in different regions. According to the “Dreams of Tokyo,” the Wang Lou restaurant in Dongjing (today’s Kaifeng) was renowned nationwide for their buns.
These small steamed buns even made their way beyond China to countries like Spain. Initially called “noodles with Chinese Dragon meat,” they became associated with martial arts icon Bruce Lee after he gained global popularity. In Spanish, asking for “Bruce Lee” would get you a serving of small steamed buns.
Q2, Jin Shi, Tang Hao, what foods drive you with such passion? Is it the charm of “food,” the allure of “biking,” or the attraction of “participation”? Why do so many people join in these activities together?
Q3, Qin Yue, Jin Shi, young people often pursue the combination of “poetry and faraway places.” Now they’re seeking “food and faraway places.” If you were in university now, would you join this bike ride? Under what circumstances would you participate in such collective activities? Do you enjoy engaging in various social activities?
To be continued…