Hand-drawn map of hometown helps man in China reunite with family after 33 years

BEIJING - Thirty-three years after he was abducted, a man finally reunited with his family, thanks to a hand-drawn map of his hometown.

On the first day of the New Year, Mr Li Jingwei saw his mother again in Lankao, Central China's Henan province.

"I never thought I'd see you again," said Mr Li's mother, hugging her son.

Mr Li was abducted from his hometown in Zhaotong in the southwestern Yunnan province at the age of four. He was taken to a family in Lankao, a city 1,600km away from his hometown.

Encouraged by news of other abducted children getting reunited with their families, Mr Li posted a video clip looking for his family on a video-sharing platform on Dec 15, in which he showed a map portraying the landscape of his hometown that he drew based on his memory.

Mr Li said he thought it would take several years to find his family. To his surprise, shortly afterwards, he received clues about his mother.

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Following the clues, the police found Mr Li's mother in Zhoukou of Henan province where she lives now, and confirmed her identity through a DNA test.

Mr Li said from the day of his abduction, he often drew pictures of his hometown on the ground with a stick so as not to forget his birthplace.

"I didn't expect to find my family so soon," Mr Li said. "When I saw my family on the first day of the New Year, I felt like I was born again."

Mr Li also saw his younger brother and sister on the day of reunion.

Chinese police have helped a total of 10,932 missing or abducted children return home in 2021 via a nationwide special campaign, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Campaign Tuanyuan, meaning reunion in Chinese, sent back home 2,538 victims who had been separated from their families for 20 to 30 years, as well as 1,812 victims for 30 to 40 years, 371 victims for 40 to 50 years, 190 victims for 50 to 60 years, and 110 victims for more than 60 years.

Since the launch of the campaign, Chinese police have resolved more than 350 long-pending cases involving child abduction, and 890 suspects have been caught, the ministry said.