February 11, the second day of the Lunar New Year, is a festive day, but for Ms. Li from Miyi County, Sichuan, it is a day of mixed joy and sorrow. She finally met her son, Gao Qingsong, who had been separated for 30 years, but she also learned that her son's father had died many years ago. Gao Qingsong, now a Chinese-Dutch national, flew back to China from Canada to Sichuan to complete his 17-year journey to find his family.
Gao Qingsong's story is actually a story of searching for relatives across borders. In October 1994, Gao Qingsong, who was only 3 years old at the time, followed his parents from Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, to Sichuan to visit his mother's relatives. At the Chengdu train station, he accidentally got separated from his mother and was sent to the Chengdu Children's Welfare Institute. There, he was named "Gou Yongming".
Gou Yongming lived in the orphanage for nearly two years, during which time he waited for his parents to pick him up, but they never showed up. In August 1996, he was adopted by a couple from the Netherlands, who gave him a new name, "Martin". Martin came to the Netherlands with his adoptive parents and started a new life.
Martin's adoptive parents were very good to him, they not only provided him with good living conditions, but also supported him in learning Chinese and helped him stay connected to China. Martin received a good education in the Netherlands, and later went to Canada to pursue a PhD, where he has now worked.
Although Martin grew up in the Netherlands, he never forgot his Chinese roots, and he always wanted to find his biological parents and learn about his origins. He felt that his parents must be looking for him as well, and he wanted to give them an account and feel their love.
In order to find his biological parents, Martin put in a lot of effort. He returned to China three times and went to Chengdu, Deyang, Mianyang and other places to look for clues, but to no avail. He also registered his family tracing information online and received help from many volunteers and **, but he also did not find a matching family. He even got a tattoo with the words "Gou Yongming" written on it, which was his name in China and his hope of finding his relatives.
Just when Martin was about to give up looking for his family, a miracle happened. In October 2023, his DNA was successfully compared with a woman from Miyi County, Sichuan, who was his biological mother, Ms. Li. After verification by the volunteers, Martin learned his true identity, his original name was Gao Qingsong, his nickname was Gao Yang, his father was from Xuzhou, Jiangsu, and his mother was from Miyi County, Sichuan.
Martin excitedly communicated with his mother**, they exchanged some basic information in simple Chinese, they both wanted to meet, but there were also some regrets. Martin learns that his father has been looking for him since he went missing, but has never been heard from, and has later passed away due to physical reasons. His mother also fell seriously ill and was not in good health because she missed her son.
Martin decided to take advantage of the Chinese New Year to return to China to reunite with his mother. On February 9, 2024, he departed from Canada and came to Sichuan after a long flight. He was warmly received by volunteers and **, who helped him with the relevant formalities and arranged his accommodation and transportation.
On February 11, Martin finally came to Miyi County and met his mother, Ms. Li. They hugged each other and wept, greeted each other, and comforted each other. They also met other relatives, including his cousin, cousin, uncle, etc. They prepared a hearty meal for Martin and gave him a taste of home. They also showed Martin his ** as a child, telling the story of his childhood.
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Martin felt the warmth and love of his family, and he also told them about his life in the Netherlands and Canada, as well as his experience of searching for his family. He said that he is grateful to his adoptive parents, who have given him a happy family, who have always supported him in his search for relatives, and who are like his angels. He said that he missed his father a lot, he wished he could see him in heaven, he also felt sorry for his mother, he hoped that she would be able to **, and he would come back to visit her often.
Martin's journey to find his relatives is a family story that transcends borders, which shows the feelings and identification of a Chinese-Dutch person with China, and also shows the longing and love of a mother and son who have been separated for 30 years. This story has also touched countless people, who rejoiced at the reunion of Martin and Ms. Li, and were also distressed by what happened to them. They hope that Martin and Ms. Li can cherish this hard-won family relationship, and also hope that more separated families can be reunited as soon as possible.