A Chinese woman from Jiangxi was reunited with her biological parents, 28 years after she was abandoned in a toilet as a newborn by her grandfather.
She was later adopted by a Dutch couple.
On March 14, Hong Yangli (transliteration) was accompanied by volunteers searching for her family, as she met her biological mother who burst into tears and pulled her into a tight embrace, Chinese outlet QQ News reported.
The daughter was welcomed with a banquet and firecrackers, reports said.
Hong is the third child of her biological family before she was abandoned by her grandfather without her parents' knowledge, reported Chinese media.
With a traditional mindset, Hong's grandfather favoured boys over girls and left the infant in a toilet in another village, reported South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Hong's father, Xu Lihong, said he was guilt-ridden for years but did not challenge his father or report the case to the police out of filial piety.� �
The baby was later found by a passerby, with 120 yuan (S$22), a bag of milk powder and a note with her date of birth written, and taken to a local welfare institution, reported Chinese media.
She was subsequently adopted by a Dutch couple at two years old and raised in the Netherlands.
@asiaone When she was two days old, Hong Yangli was abandoned by her grandfather in a toilet. A passerby found her with 120 yuan (S$22), a bag of milk powder and a note with her date of birth written, and took her to a local welfare institution. She finally reunited with her heartbroken birth parents after 28 years. #news#china #chinanews #adoption #baby #heartwarming ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
Failed search attempts by both sidesAfter learning of her disappearance, Hong's parents attempted to search for her but were unsuccessful.
Hong's mother, Yang Xiaoying, added that the incident also caused the relationship with her father-in-law to become estranged for over 20 years.
When she learned the truth as an adult, Hong wanted to go in search of her roots, but she failed twice as there was not enough information and she had problems in cross-border communication.
In December 2024, Hong enlisted the help of volunteers to locate her biological family.
She submitted her information, including a blood sample and details of her abandonment, to a DNA database for missing children.
In 2025, police found a very similar DNA match to a couple in Nanchang and further testing confirmed the couple was indeed Hong's biological parents.
Hong, who spoke mainly English with her adoptive parents, does not speak Chinese, so volunteers had to help with translation throughout her journey.
Tearful reunionWhen Hong returned to Nanchung in March for the tearful reunion, Xu also reportedly gifted Hong a gold bracelet and a jade pendant, SCMP reported.
Hong's birth parents said they plan to visit her adoptive parents in the Netherlands this year.
Xu added that he would respect Hong's future decision regarding settling in China.
"We are grateful to them for raising such a wonderful daughter ," said Xu.
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