A trend that began in June, when four young women from Zhengzhou, China made a sudden journey for dumplings, has grown over the last few months and reached new heights with thousands getting involved.

Local outlets estimated that up to 200,000 young people had rented bikes – which cost as little as £1.51 for a month – to travel 37-miles to Kaifeng for its famous guantangbao, a type of soup dumpling.

“People sang together and cheered for each other while climbing uphill together,” said Liu Lulu, a student at Henan University. “I could feel the passion of the young people. And it was much more than a bike ride.”

China Daily reported the bike lanes between the cities were closed temporarily after Kaifeng residents reported issues such as bikes being improperly parked near city landmarks, making it difficult for people to walk in those areas.

Three major rental bike providers in the province – Hellobike, DiDi Bike and Mobike – also issued a joint notice stating their bikes would be locked if ridden outside of designated zones in Zhengzhou.

And while the Kaifeng government said, “youth needs passion,” it called on the Zhengzhou students to avoid riding in large groups and consider public safety.