On 1/6, Liu Xiuhong, 31 years old, reunited with her biological parents in Jieyang city, Guangdong province, after being separated for 22 years.
Liu's life-altering event began on 19/3/2004, when she visited a neighbor's house and accidentally broke a bottle of shower gel. Fearing her mother's scolding, she ran away and became lost near the southern area of Yuhu Bridge. Due to her young age and unfamiliarity with the roads, she wandered off.
Around 8 p.m. on the same day, a man passing by found Liu and took her to Jiangxi province. There, she lived with him under a new name. The man did not complete adoption procedures or obtain identification documents, causing Liu to lose contact with her biological family.
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Liu Xiuhong reunited with her mother (left) and relatives in Guangdong province, China, on 1/6. Photo: Weibo |
Liu Xiuhong reunited with her mother (left) and relatives in Guangdong province, China, on 1/6. Photo: Weibo
Back home, Liu's parents repeatedly broadcast announcements on local television and searched for her. However, due to limited communication methods at the time, they could not find their child. For 22 years, the couple always pursued every new lead. Her mother stated that she constantly blamed herself for having been too strict with her child in the past, causing her to develop such intense fear.
In early 2026, the "Baby come home" organization, through its DNA database, confirmed the biological relationship between Liu and her parents.
During the reunion ceremony on 1/6, Liu's mother embraced her and asked: "How have you been all these years?". Upon learning that her daughter had a stable life, she repeatedly apologized for her past strictness.
Liu is now married with children. She said she always wanted to find her family but could not pinpoint her direction due to fading memories, only recalling that her parents often called her "Hong Hong."
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Liu Xiuhong during a reunion meal with her family in Guangxi province on 1/6. Photo Weibo |
Liu Xiuhong during a reunion meal with her family in Guangxi province on 1/6. Photo Weibo
On social media, Liu's story sparked debates. Some users questioned parenting methods that involve corporal punishment, leading children to run away. "The girl must have endured many beatings to develop such extreme fear, willing to leave home over a minor mistake," one netizen wrote.
Others argued that the man's act of taking a lost child home to raise her in Jiangxi showed signs of violating the law and should be investigated. "When finding a lost child on the street, the top priority should always be to report it to the police, not to take them home and raise them," one account commented.
Minh Phuong (via Yahoo, Worldjournal, CTWANT)
