A father in China met his son after a 24-year search, during which he traveled more than 500,000 km on a motorcycle across the country.
Guo Gangtang never stopped looking for his son – who was abducted when he was two years old outside their home in Shandong Province.
Police were able to verify the son’s identity using DNA tests. Two suspects – a man and a woman – were later identified and arrested, according to the Global Times.
The two suspects, who were in a relationship at the time, wanted to kidnap a child, with the intention of selling him. When the woman saw the boy playing alone outside his house, he grabbed it and took it to a bus station, where her partner was waiting for her.
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The couple went by bus to the neighboring province of Henan, where they sold the child. According to local media, Gangtang’s son still lives in the area.
Following the abduction of his son, Gangtang reportedly traveled to more than 20 provinces in China in search of valuable information. During his travels, he suffered fractures from car accidents, came face to face with robbers and damaged ten machines.
With photos of his son always with him, he is said to have spent the savings of a lifetime trying to find the child. He slept under bridges and begged when he ran out of money.
This incredible story even inspired a movie made in 2015, starring Hong Kong star Andy Lau.
Child abduction is a major problem in China , with thousands of child abductions occurring each year.
According to 2015 estimates, 20,000 children are abducted each year in the country. Many of them are sold to illegal adoptions, inside and outside the borders.
Gangtang, through his experience over the years, became a member of human search organizations in China and helped at least seven parents find their abducted children.
