In an emotional reunion that gripped China and moved millions around the world, a mother who spent three decades searching for her kidnapped son finally embraced him again — thanks to modern technology and unrelenting hope.

The Abduction That Shattered a Family

In 1988, two-year-old Mao Yin vanished near his home in the city of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. According to authorities, the toddler was snatched on his way back from kindergarten and sold to a childless couple in a neighboring province for about 6,000 yuan — roughly $845 at the time.

For his mother, Li Jingzhi, the disappearance was devastating but never led to surrender. She quit her job and devoted herself fully to the search, distributing over 100,000 missing-child flyers, traveling to multiple provinces, and appearing on television programs to raise awareness. Over the years, she also volunteered to help other families facing similar tragedies.

Breakthrough Through Technology

In 2020, Chinese police used facial recognition software to analyze age-progressed images of missing children and found a match in Sichuan Province. DNA testing confirmed the identity: the man known locally as Gu Ningning was indeed Mao Yin.

When authorities contacted Li Jingzhi, she was overwhelmed but cautious. After 32 years of false leads, she needed confirmation — and the DNA test provided it.

A Reunion on Mother’s Day

On May 10, 2020 — Mother’s Day in China — Li was finally reunited with her son. Television footage showed her sobbing uncontrollably as she held Mao Yin’s face in her hands, while father Mao Zhenjing stood nearby, emotional and smiling through tears.

“I can’t believe this moment has come after 32 years,” Li said through tears. Mao Yin, now 34 and running his own home decoration business, thanked his parents for never giving up on him.

Broader Impact on China’s Fight Against Child Trafficking

China has long battled child trafficking, especially during the 1980s and 1990s when strict population control policies and cultural preferences for boys fueled illegal adoptions. In recent years, advances in DNA databases, artificial intelligence, and national campaigns such as “Reunion” (Tuanyuan) have helped solve thousands of cold cases.

Authorities say since 2016, more than 6,300 abducted children have been identified and returned to their families through DNA and technology-supported searches.

Hope for Other Families

Li Jingzhi’s decades-long quest has become a symbol of perseverance for other parents still searching. “I want to tell all the mothers who have lost their children to never give up,” she said after the reunion.

Her story, widely shared on social media and in international outlets like Time, BBC, and CNN, has drawn renewed attention to both the pain of child trafficking and the power of modern tools to bring families back together — even after decades.