E-Paper
Chinese man finds out he was adopted 34 years ago, real sister lived just 500 metres away
A Chinese man discovered he was adopted 34 years ago and was shocked to find his biological sister had been living just 500 metres away all along.
A Chinese man who unexpectedly learned he was adopted 34 years ago was left even more shocked when he discovered that his biological sister had been living just 500 metres away from him. According to a report by South China Morning Post, the man, Zhang Lei, made the life-changing discovery after a heated family argument.
(Also read: Unemployed people rent office spaces to ‘pretend to work’ to avoid societal stigma in this country)
Zhang, 36, an advertising company owner from Nanyang in Henan province, had always believed he was the biological son of his adoptive parents. His belief was reinforced by a baby photo he carried in his wallet, assuming it was his own.
However, everything changed during a family dispute while his wife was pregnant. In a moment of anger, his adoptive mother blurted out the shocking truth—that Zhang was not their biological son. The revelation shattered him, and his mother even suggested severing family ties.
A journey to find his roots
Deeply affected by the revelation, Zhang moved out of his parents’ home. Following the birth of his own son, he decided to uncover his origins.
“My wife always told me, ‘At the very least, you should find out where you come from. No matter how your biological parents treated you, you need to know where your roots are,’” Zhang told China’s state broadcaster CCTV.
Unbeknownst to him, over 100km away in Zaoyang, Hubei province, a woman named Xiong Lianxian had spent more than three decades searching for her missing son, Liu Weiwei.
A family’s painful search
Xiong and her husband once operated an oil shop and were often busy with work, leaving their daughter, Liu Yan, to care for her younger siblings, including her little brother, Liu Weiwei.
Tragedy struck in 1991 when two-year-old Liu Weiwei went missing after Liu Yan briefly left him to fetch water. A police investigation determined that the toddler had been kidnapped, leading his devastated family on a desperate but fruitless search.
(Also read: Indian-origin woman, adopted by Spanish couple, returns to Odisha after 15 years to find birth mother)
In 2015, Xiong’s husband passed away, never having reunited with their son.
Breakthrough after decades
In August 2024, Zhang’s wife came across an online platform, Xiao Zhenyu’s Search Studio, and urged him to register his details. Since previous DNA searches had failed, the studio took a different approach, analysing Zhang’s ancestral background.
(Also read: Indian-origin woman, adopted by Spanish couple, returns to Odisha after 15 years to find birth mother)
Their efforts led them to a man named Liu Tishun, who was identified as a potential relative. Through him, Zhang was finally connected to Xiong, confirming that he was, in fact, her long-lost son, Liu Weiwei. A DNA test further verified their biological relationship.
A shocking second revelation
While reuniting with his birth family was emotional, Zhang was stunned to learn another unbelievable truth—his biological sister, Liu Yan, had been living in Nanyang all along. The siblings had unknowingly spent 34 years just 500 metres apart, never once crossing paths.
