Recently, college students in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, launched a unique night riding event. Tens of thousands of students rode shared bicycles, crossed the night of 50 kilometers, rode to Kaifeng, played in the ancient city for a night, and returned on the Zhengkai intercity railway the next day. This move not only aroused enthusiastic resonance among young people, but also made the authorities pay close attention to this phenomenon, and even launched stability maintenance measures. This incident reflects the current trend of "special forces-style tourism" among young people, and reveals some complex factors at the social and economic levels behind it.

Night riding in Kaifeng: a spontaneous collective action of youth

On the evening of November 8, a large army of cyclists formed on Zhengkai Avenue. According to online information, the number of night riders reached a peak of tens of thousands that night, and the road from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng was "filled" with bicycles and crowds, stretching for dozens of kilometers. Most of these cyclists are college students in Zhengzhou and its surrounding areas, and there are also young people who came from other places. With the slogan "Youth has no price, night riding in Kaifeng wins", the team is spectacular and spontaneous, and it has become a "special operation" that has attracted national attention.

Night riding activities have ignited young people's enthusiasm for "low-cost travel", and "special forces tourism" has emerged in such an atmosphere. Unlike traditional tourism, this method encourages visiting as many attractions as possible with the least cost and the least time. Since the lockdown was lifted, this kind of fast and extreme travel method has quickly become popular among young people and has become a popular choice for young people to relieve stress and experience adventure. After arriving in Kaifeng by night riding, young people not only enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Kaifeng, but also experienced the infinite vitality of youth. Some scenic spots in Kaifeng are therefore open for free to welcome this group of special tourists.

Officials pay close attention: stability maintenance measures are added layer by layer

However, this "youth feast" has also attracted great attention from the authorities. The large-scale gathering and traffic congestion that night paralyzed the traffic in Kaifeng City for a time, and Zhengkai Avenue once implemented temporary traffic control. In response to students' night riding activities, the authorities urgently issued a number of measures: On November 9, the traffic police departments in Zhengzhou and Kaifeng began to limit the riding range of shared bicycles, and some platforms even set up extra-zone locks to prevent the night riding team from being too concentrated. Meituan, Hello, and Qingju, the three major shared bicycle platforms, also jointly issued a letter of appeal to remind students to pay attention to safety and travel reasonably.

In addition, many colleges and universities in Henan Province issued notices requiring students to return to school before night riding, and even dissuaded some students from participating in night riding activities. There are online reports that the authorities believe that "foreign hostile forces" and "anti-social people" may be mixed in this activity, triggering further stability maintenance actions. The way this emergency was handled shows the sensitivity and vigilance of the authorities to large-scale spontaneous gatherings.

The "special forces-style tourism" phenomenon behind night riding

In recent years, special forces-style tourism has gradually become popular among young people. It represents an emerging way of travel, emphasizing fast sightseeing, low cost and high intensity. It is a way for young people to relieve stress in their high-pressure lives. In particular, the high youth unemployment rate has forced many young people to find the fun of travel under economic constraints. The low-cost travel of "riding on Friday night and returning on Saturday" has become the choice of many college students. Many people travel together to share the hardships and joy of the journey.

At present, China's youth unemployment problem is becoming increasingly serious, especially the unemployment rate of the 16-24 age group, which reached a historical high of 21.3% in June 2023, after which the official stopped publishing this data. Although the unemployment rate data has been questioned, research shows that about 17% of young people are in a "three-no" state of "no school, no job, no training", and the unemployment rate is rising. The employment dilemma has caused many young people to turn their energy to low-cost short-distance travel, and "special forces-style tourism" is a vivid reflection of this phenomenon.

The tense relationship between modern society and the authorities: from the White Paper Movement to the Night Ride in Kaifeng

The attention this night ride incident has once again aroused the society's sensitive memories of young people's collective activities. The "White Paper Movement" at the end of 2022 is a typical case. At that time, in order to oppose the strict epidemic lockdown policy, young people in many parts of the country launched the "White Paper Action", which eventually forced the government to readjust the epidemic policy. In this context, any form of large-scale gathering may be given political meaning, triggering further official prevention.

The rise of the Night Ride in Kaifeng is certainly a manifestation of the youthful vitality of young people, and also reflects their desire for freedom and individual expression. However, in the context of increasing economic pressure, the "play" form of young people has also been given more metaphors. This incident may be just the beginning. It reminds society to pay attention to the real needs and emotional expression of young people, and also provides a new topic for the official management of public events.

A carnival of youth, or the beginning of a social phenomenon?

The Night Ride in Kaifeng event is a collective spontaneous action that fully demonstrates the characteristics of the young generation. They are full of energy, eager to explore and express themselves, and use the "special forces tourism" method to pursue a more adventurous and interesting lifestyle. However, behind this event also reflects the dual pressures of society and economy. In the current social environment in China, collective activities of young people are often given more symbolic meanings.

This night ride is undoubtedly a carnival of youth and a unique way of travel. However, it also reminds us to pay attention to the real needs of young people. Faced with the struggle of the young generation in the economic downturn and employment difficulties, we may be able to read more new signals of social development from the "special forces tourism" phenomenon. What these young people need is not only temporary passion and adventure, but also a response from society that shows real care and support for them.