BEIJING: rom eastern China has been reunited with her mother after 30 years apart after she spotted “another version” of herself in a video.
According to the mainland media outlet Chao News, the 32-year-old daughter, surnamed Yan, works at a shoe factory in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province.
She recently came across a woman live-streaming on a short video-sharing platform who looked strikingly like her.
The 52-year-old woman, Xu, known online by the name “Searching for my Second Daughter”, is from Jiangxi province in southeastern China.
Since 2022, Xu has used social media to search for her lost daughter and to help others looking for their biological parents.
Yan, who was adopted as a child, grew up with loving parents but had no memory of her birth family. As an adult, she never stopped searching for them.
When Yan saw Xu in the live-stream, she felt an instant connection and commented: “I might be your daughter.”
Xu then encouraged her to contact the police.
With their help, she reached out to Xu, who was recovering from an injury in rural Jiangxi.
After DNA testing confirmed their relationship, Xu travelled to Zhejiang with her family for a reunion at the police station.
When mother and daughter were reunited after 30 years, both had tears streaming down their faces as they held hands.
Xu then introduced her to her brother and sister.
In an interview, Xu explained that Yan was the youngest in the family.
The family’s financial struggles forced Yan’s parents to send her to live with her aunt.
Later, her husband’s mother placed Yan with a childless family in a nearby village.
Xu said: “After the family had their own children, they left my daughter on the doorstep of a government office and that is how we got separated.”
The child was later adopted by a family living less than 10km away.
After meeting Yan, Xu expressed relief: “I have finally realised my long-time wish.”
As of this writing, Yan has not revealed whether she plans to return to her birth family.
Their story has captivated mainland social media.
One online observer said: “Like many rural families in China, the Xu’s prioritised sons over daughters in the past, which led them to send their youngest away. This mother paid a heavy price for her decision.”
“Parents should never abandon their children, and we also need to stay vigilant against human traffickers,” said another.
As of June 2022, China’s DNA-based search system for abducted children has reunited 11,198 missing children with their families.
Recently, a Chinese online influencer called Aurora, who is based in Thailand, shared photos taken by human traffickers in an effort to locate her biological parents.
On Aug 22, she revealed that she had reunited with her birth parents, who warmly embraced her along with her older brother and two sisters. - South China Morning Post
