Chinese police have cracked down on an internet craze that led to thousands of cyclists swarming a highway at night as they rode to get famous dumplings.

It started as a social media quest for breakfast dumplings, but ended with thousands of cyclists bringing traffic gridlock between two cities in central China. What should have been a boost to the ancient city of Kaifeng’s economy backfired when the trend went viral - tens of thousands on rented bikes cycled through the night from nearby Zhenghou.

An online invite for a group bike ride in search of good dumplings proved so popular in China, that it brought some roads to a standstill.