Man Reunites With Family 25 Years After Getting Lost at 4

After a quarter-century marked by loss, wandering across continents, and an enduring hope for home, a Chinese man who was separated from his family at age 4 was finally reunited with his overjoyed family in northeast China's Jilin Province today.

Zhang Yunpeng, 29, arrived in Huinan County, Tonghua City, at 11:45am, walking into the embrace of his biological father, Zhang Jiucheng, for the first time in 25 years, Jimu News reported.

The emotional homecoming was the culmination of a lifelong journey that began in 2001. A then-4-year-old Zhang became separated from his relatives in the bustling city of Shenyang. Unable to find his way back, he was eventually taken in by the Shenyang Social Welfare Institute, where he was given the name Shen Huaibo.

His life took a dramatic turn in 2006 when, at the age of 9, he was adopted by a Canadian couple and moved overseas. However, the stability was short-lived. After his adoptive parents divorced, Zhang faced another period of upheaval, living a transient life in a foreign land.

Yet, the memory of his roots in China never faded. In 2025, deeply inspired by the story of Su Yazi, another adoptee who reunited with his family in China from the United States, Zhang embarked on his own journey to find his origins.

With the dedicated help of volunteers, Zhang's case gained traction. By the end of 2025, a DNA match confirmed what he had always hoped: His biological parents were still in China, waiting for him. Too impatient to wait for travel arrangements, he first connected with his family through an emotional video call.

The long-awaited physical reunion was nothing short of dramatic. As Zhang Yunpeng arrived at his family's neighborhood, he was greeted by a large banner strung up outside the building that read: "Welcome home, our beloved child Zhang Yunpeng!"

His father, Zhang Jiucheng, rushed forward and collapsed into his son's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "After more than 20 years, I've finally seen you," he wept, as family members quickly draped a new white down jacket over the returned son to shield him from the cold. The two men stood locked in an embrace, tears streaming down their faces.

The warmth continued inside the family home, where a plate of dumplings, a traditional symbol of reunion, was waiting. Too emotional to eat on his own, Zhang Jiucheng picked up a bowl and fed his son, unable to take his eyes off him.

Having lived most of his life speaking English, Zhang's Mandarin is now limited. However, with help from volunteers, he had practiced one crucial phrase. After he softly spoke the words in Chinese, "Dad, I love you," Zhang Jiucheng wiped away fresh tears and held his son close once more.

"Now that he's home, I will take him to buy new clothes and taste all the local foods he has missed," a tearful Zhang Jiucheng told reporters. "We have 25 years to catch up on."