After 24 years apart, a father and son in China reunited, allowing the father to finally lead a normal life. - Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
BEIJING: A man in China, who offered a staggering 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million) in his quest to find his son abducted 24 years ago, has finally been reunited with him.
During the reunion ceremony held in Shenzhen, southern China, on Sunday (March 16), the father, Xie Yue, presented his son, Xie Haonan, with a Mercedes-Benz sedan valued at three million yuan (US$415,000) along with a bank card containing an undisclosed sum set aside for his education.
However, Xie junior, now 26, declined the gifts, expressing that he does not need them at the moment as he is still pursuing his master’s degree.
He emphasised that he believes his future “relies on himself,” as reported by the Southern Metropolis News.
“My father is successful, and I am confident I can achieve these things through my own hard work,” said the son during their heartfelt meeting.
Xie junior was abducted at age two by a fruit vendor in Shenzhen in January 2001, while his father searched for him relentlessly. - Photo: Douyin
Xie junior was abducted by a fruit vendor near his home in Shenzhen in January 2001 when he was just two years old.
His father has relentlessly searched for him since that day.
Until now, Xie junior had been living in Henan province, central China, while details about his adoptive family remain undisclosed in media reports.
In 2023, the senior Xie gained significant media attention for his generous offer of 10 million yuan for any information that would lead to the discovery of his son.
As a successful businessman with four garment-related companies and six flats in Shenzhen, he aimed to enhance the chances of finding him.
“I am 51 years old and I have been searching for my son for 22 years. I hope the generous rewards could increase the likelihood of locating him. I want to eliminate any concerns he might have about reaching out to me due to my financial situation,” he explained at the time.
It remains unclear if anyone provided information that led to their reunion, and thus received the substantial reward.
However, the senior Xie shared that police in Shenzhen notified him in early March that they had located his son through the national DNA database.
On March 14, he announced the joyous news on social media after receiving confirmation from the officers following a rigorous double-check of the DNA matching results.
“I just received a call from the police. They told me to meet my son soon. I finally feel liberated and can now live a normal life,” the father shared excitedly online.
Authorities also informed him that the fruit vendor who had taken his son has been arrested.
The father noted that Xie junior was aware he was not the biological son of his adoptive parents, as many people had pointed out the resemblance issue.
Interestingly, the son had not paid much attention to the news regarding his father’s search, as he was focused on preparing for his graduate school entrance examinations.
Learning that his son had served in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and is now studying at a prestigious graduate school in eastern Jiangsu province filled the father with pride.
“It seems that blue smoke is rising from my ancestors’ graves,” Xie senior remarked, referring to a common Chinese saying that suggests a stroke of luck.
“I am so happy that my son has returned. He is the anchor in my life. He told me, ‘Dad, please do not cry. I don’t want to see you cry because I am back,’” said the father.
At the reunion event, Xie junior expressed his gratitude, stating: “Thank you, Dad, for looking for me for 24 years. I am so glad that I could return to my parents. I wish more children like me could find their way back to their families.” - South China Morning Post
