Since the COVID-19 pandemic has come and gone, China’s economy, which had become the world’s second largest in the span of a couple decades, began to slow in growth. While the Chinese government intends to shift from their rapid development model to a more consumerist country, Chinese citizens remain reluctant to spend, with the country’s savings hitting its highest ever rate in Feb. of this year.

The consumers’ reluctance to spend, mixed with a decline in exports, governmental debt and the struggle to rebound from the pandemic, among other factors, has led to one of the slowest economic growth rates in years.

In spite of these issues, a social media trend in China emerged which aims to bring citizens together. It started when four Zhengzhou university students travelled by rental bike to Kaifeng, a nearby city, to get some “tangbao,” or soup dumplings.

This pilgrimage became rapidly known across Chinese social media, as well as increasingly participated in. Now, thousands of students have joined this “night riding army” as a way to socialize and alleviate the worries that surround them and their country.

The general response to this movement was very positive, with some students from nearby universities handing out water to the bike riders. Kaifeng’s tourism bureau even released a statement encouraging and welcoming the students into their city. It has come under some criticism, from officials worried about Kaifeng’s ability to keep up with the resources necessary to attend to the thousands of traveling students.