China’s bicycle kingdom returns as fuel price, coronavirus bring two-wheelers back in vogue

Recent rise in fuel prices, coupled with coronavirus restrictions hindering commutes, plus increased government support, are proving to be a boon for bicycling

Proportion of people travelling by bicycle in central Beijing hit a near-decade high of 47.8 per cent last year, with some spending up to 100,000 yuan (US$14,800)

Reading Time:4 minutes

According to the China Bicycling Association, production in China in 2021 rose by 1.5 per cent, year on year, to 76.4 million units. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 11:00am, 30 Jul 2022Updated: 7:59pm, 30 Jul 2022

A contestant on a popular reality dating show in China soared to fame – or perhaps infamy – when she declared back in 2010 that she “would rather cry in a BMW than smile on a bicycle”.

It was a hot take on materialism that reverberated through the country. But more than a decade later, the statement appears to stand in sharp contrast to a growing trend seen on both social media and city streets, as the wheels of change are hearkening back to a bygone era when the nation was known as the “Kingdom of Bicycles”.

“Fluttering hair, swooping poses, cheerful smiles and flashes of scenery beside you” – comments like these are rife on social media in the country as trendy users and influencers share and revel in their rekindled love affair with two-wheeled transport.

A search on the Little Red Book platform alone turns up more than a million related photos and videos by those who have embraced cycling as a means of socialising, entertainment and fitness.

In the 1970s, bicycles were considered an important item for newlyweds, as one of the three major symbols of family wealth, along with sewing machines and watches.

In the 1980s, bikes dominated city streets across the country, with hordes of riders commonly seen stopped at traffic lights during peak commuting hours, vastly outnumbering cars.