In recent news from Kaifeng City, Henan Province, residents near a fertilizer plant club staged a collective roadblock event to protest against the authorities planning to relocate the Dongyuan Night Market to that area. Video footage from the scene showed several elderly individuals in wheelchairs protesting in the middle and on the side of the road. Residents expressed concerns that the operation of the night market would disrupt their lives with noise, increased traffic, and waste issues.
On the afternoon of November 4th, the road outside the fertilizer plant club was briefly blocked. Residents used wooden boards, tricycles, and plastic barrels to set up makeshift roadblocks, causing over a dozen vehicles to come to a halt. In the video, three elderly individuals in wheelchairs were seen lined up in the middle of the road, while two others leaned against the side, with dozens of residents around them taking photos and conversing. Police and urban management vehicles were parked nearby, tension was high, but no clashes were reported.
An elderly resident named Mr. Zhang, contacted by a reporter through social media, expressed his concerns, saying, “We have been living here for over a decade, and the majority of residents in this area are elderly people who need quiet rest at night. If the night market moves here, noise, lights, parking issues will all cause disturbances.”
A septuagenarian in a wheelchair told the reporter, “My legs are not in good shape, but I still need to come out and speak up. We have already raised concerns with the government. If the night market opens, and I can’t sleep at night, that is not a trivial matter.” Another middle-aged resident added, “We are not against development, but we hope the government can consult us before making decisions. At the very least, listen to the voices of the residents first.”
According to social media posts, the incident occurred on the afternoon of November 4th near the fertilizer plant club. Upon learning of the plan to relocate the Dongyuan Night Market to the area, residents gathered spontaneously. A netizen commented, “Construction at night, setting up stalls in the early morning, disrupting the pace of life.” Another comment pointed out, “Night economy is a good thing, but residents’ peace should not be sacrificed.”
As of now, there has been no official announcement or environmental assessment clarification regarding the night market relocation plan. Attempts to reach the Kaifeng City Urban Management Bureau and Gulou District Government by the reporter have not yielded a response.
Professor Huang, an urban planning scholar from Shangqiu City bordering Kaifeng, stated in an interview with Epoch Times, “Night markets are a form of public space, and if they are relocated near residential areas, there should be prior public notification, consultation with residents, and evaluation of noise and traffic impacts. Lack of transparent decision-making can exacerbate public grievances.”
Professor Huang pointed out that local governments have an obligation to seek residents’ opinions in advance and provide reasonable compensation to affected families.
Dr. Zhang Ning, a physician from Southern Hospital in Guangzhou (pseudonym), told the reporter that noise has a particularly noticeable impact on the elderly. “Nighttime activities increase, car traffic density and noise levels rise. This is a substantial burden for the elderly and patients.”
A similar situation occurred a few days ago in Hefei, Anhui Province. In the evening of October 28th, hundreds of residents gathered outside the Jinyu Daguanfu residential area in Baohe District, Hefei. Residents expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s plan to relocate a large hardware market near the town, fearing it would affect the living environment. They then protested by marching around the community. After the neighborhood committee reported to the police, hundreds of special police officers were deployed to disperse the gathering residents.
Several scholars in Guangzhou noted that if local governments could establish a disclosure system, openly disclose the location, operating hours, noise standards, and traffic plans during the initial planning phase and involve residents in discussions, it could effectively reduce disputes. If Kaifeng City proceeds with the night market relocation, it should promptly issue formal documents, explain the planning basis, management measures, and response plans to residents to dispel doubts and prevent street protests from happening again.
Regarding the consecutive occurrences of group protests in two cities within a week, Mr. Zhao, a public opinion research scholar from Beijing, pointed out that if such livelihood incidents are mishandled, they tend to rapidly spread on social media, creating a public opinion explosive point where the “policy information vacuum period” overlaps with the “residents’ anxiety period.” He stated, “If the authorities delay responses, residents’ legitimate demands may be misinterpreted as collective confrontations.”
The scholar told the reporter, “Current urban governance requires not only control and diversion but also a transparent information response mechanism. If the authorities can clarify the situation promptly, it is often more convincing than subsequent appeasement.”
As of the time of writing, a search through the official announcements, disclosures, and government affairs public columns on the websites of the Kaifeng City Government and Gulou District Government did not yield any formal documents or environmental assessment notifications related to the relocation of the Dongyuan Night Market near the fertilizer plant club. Existing official information mainly pertains to night market rectification and regular management content. The related videos and posts are disseminated by the public and await government confirmation and response.