**200,000 University Students in Zhengzhou Night Ride to Kaifeng Showcase Youthful Energy**
Recently, 200,000 Zhengzhou University students showed their youthful energy with a night ride to Kaifeng, causing a sensation across the internet. In just half a day, public opinion went from positive support to criticism. The government, initially endorsing the event, now silenced, and universities escalated from investigating and closing campuses to disciplining participants. Students have cried foul, feeling that the wind has changed too quickly and asserting their desire for freedom and to lift the restrictions.
In recent days, universities in Zhengzhou and Kaifeng in Henan province started inspecting dormitories and closing campuses after the “night ride incident” on November 8th, drawing attention and condemnation from society. Currently, campus control measures are still ongoing, with reports of a Henan university disciplining students who participated in the night ride last Friday, deeming it a serious violation, deducting 20 moral education points, and disqualifying them from receiving any outstanding student awards.
A university student in Henan disclosed on November 11th online about the school’s punishment, claiming to be a victim of the night ride. Although not involved in the event, the student arranged to celebrate his birthday in Zhengzhou with friends on the 9th. However, when he tried to get permission from his counselor after boarding the morning train, the counselor refused, citing severe consequences. He had to travel to Zhengzhou in the morning and return in the afternoon, resulting in receiving a 20-point deduction in moral education but escaping the additional punishment of disqualification from awards. He stated his intent to continue negotiating this issue with the counselor.
Many university students online claimed to be victims of the night ride. One student revealed on social media, “Our school said that student leaves were not approved by the provincial authorities. My family member was critically ill and I wanted to return home, the counselor agreed but the department didn’t approve the leave. If something happens, I won’t let the school off easily.”
Another student questioned, “The night ride was crazy and now they closed down. Without a leave permit, we are not allowed to leave the campus, we have to scan in three times for a single class, even if going to buy food near the school gate, we must request permission from the counselor. Where has the craziness ended?”
Furthermore, a student disclosed that the school used makeup classes to control students, saying, “Which good school still has makeup classes on weekends? The school issued a document to make up for the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day classes to prevent students from going on night rides in Kaifeng, standing out compared to other schools.”
Even dormitory leaders in universities complained of being forced to write self-reflections. One dormitory leader expressed, “The school suspected that students who didn’t return to the dorms at night went to Kaifeng for the night ride. All dormitory residents were required to write a 3000-word review. As the dormitory leader, I have been preparing for postgraduate exams, going out early and returning late every day, everyone had their curtains tightly drawn on their beds, so I had no idea someone was missing from the dormitory.”
Zhengzhou’s shared bicycles have adjusted operation areas! Residents in the Longzihu area of Zhengzhou expressed surprise, stating, “Waking up to find Longzihu area excluded, this is a heavy blow. Who did the ordinary people living and working in Longzihu provoke?”
A group of university counselors discussed the night ride closure within social media groups on the 10th. Universities as far as Wenzhou in Zhejiang province and both Southern and Northern Anhui were instructed to tally the numbers, check if there were any abnormal leave requests for bike rides and examine whether any students were in Zhengzhou or Kaifeng.
A counselor from Henan expressed frustration, saying, “City Hall: Provide services! -> Education Department: Strengthen management! -> School: Conduct statistics! -> College: Strictly prohibit! Counselors inspect dormitories at night! Conduct student counts! Every class holds a meeting! No written notices left! -> Counselors: Let me die!”
A counselor from Hebei responded, “Talking about providing services, conducting statistics, anyone can say nice words. In the end, it’s still implemented at the grassroots level, working overtime and coordinating on the ground. When problems arise, they take responsibility, and the ones being scolded are the ones actually doing the work at the grassroots level. Some people shouldn’t be too selfish, have they considered the counselors?”
A notice within a Wenzhou university class also confirmed the counselors’ descriptions. The notice stated, “Student data must be reported by 5:30 pm today. 1. Are there any students on campus who are absent or have been involved in group bike rides? 2. Are there any students currently in Zhengzhou and Kaifeng? If so, please inform me, and I will report to the counselors.”
Even in Guangxi, students joined counselor groups, with one student saying, “I am from Guangxi, and counselors called every member of our bike riding group one by one.”
After the night ride of 200,000 students in Zhengzhou to Kaifeng, many in society began criticizing and condemning university students, but those who participated and supported the students openly stated that this was orchestrated behind the scenes by the government. Some students listed the various preferential policies provided by officials, tourist attractions, bike-sharing companies to the students involved in the night ride to Kaifeng, such as bike annual passes, individual scenic area passes, free admission to many fee-charging sites, police escorts, bike shuttle stops, free hostels, and free rides back.
Epoch Times reporters discovered that just four days before November 8th, on November 4th, the Henan Provincial Government website and the Kaifeng Government website both published an article titled “Night Ride to Kaifeng- Love Overflowing in Autumn,” which is still preserved. The report claimed that Zhengzhou and Kaifeng were like family, and it felt like home when coming to Kaifeng full of love! In the early hours of November 3rd, Zhengzhou university students flocked to Kaifeng, embarking on an impromptu journey.
The report mentioned that Kaifeng took hospitality seriously. When the night city management department took action, at the intersection of Zhengkai Avenue and Badajie Street, they set up shared bike shuttle service parking spots, providing transfer and counseling services for the youth, even stating that “the public security traffic police department stood guard all night, ensuring safety.”
A Beijing University student with the screen name “等於” commented, “It was all hyped up at the beginning, and when it became too crowded, the authorities began playing dumb and shifting blame, bullying students with petty words.”
Another student said, “Behind the hype of this incident are media and local planning. As things progressed, both sides found that cooling down was not possible, so they decided to call it off directly. At the end of the day, they couldn’t handle it.”
Supporters responded, “To be honest, university students should not be held responsible. Initially, it was just a group of four friends having fun, but the local authorities tried to capitalize on the enthusiasm to boost the economy, immediately rallying support from the tourism bureau, offering preferential policies at tourist sites and promoting it across major media outlets. They artificially created hype; well, now that there were too many people, they found they couldn’t handle it and began advising students to stay calm. What’s next? Did Harbin or Zibo have any incidents? Students reflected on their actions, but where are the media and local authorities who planned this?”
Due to the campus closure, students expressed their dissatisfaction directly on social media, questioning why Henan University of Chinese Medicine (Longzihu Campus) had authority to close the campus?! “Nearby universities have already reopened, some never closed. The night ride commotion in Kaifeng has passed, so why are they using this as a reason to restrict our movements? Is a university turning into a high school?!”
Even Political Science graduate students voiced their discontent, criticizing the school, “I’m baffled, did riding to Kaifeng break out the epidemic?”
Students further questioned why the university blamed the young riders, pointing out flaws in the school’s policies. Some even labeled the school as the biggest prison, while others accused the school of illegal confinement.
One student sarcastically linked the incident to Kaifeng’s origin, “It is well known that Kaifeng, formerly known as Bianjing in ancient times, is now called Kaifeng, which means they started closing the campus. The students are just joking around.”
Seasoned commentator Wang He stated that the authorities’ actions were foolish and an overreaction. In the current situation, the night ride of 200,000 students to Kaifeng, such incidents aren’t necessarily political but merely an emotional expression. The Chinese Communist Party has become paranoid, viewing everything with suspicion and managing every situation from a political and stability standpoint, resorting to repressive policies. This approach inadvertently pushes people who don’t have clear political demands and expressions onto the opposing side, resulting in everyone criticizing the CCP.
He emphasized that the authorities’ approach demonstrates a lack of skills, resorting to severe and hardline measures that don’t resolve problems but instead stimulate and nurture them. The CCP’s approach is self-destructive, painting themselves into a corner, and ultimately making self-defeating choices.