Decades of heartbreak and separation were brought to an emotional end for Li Jingwei, a man who spent 33 years apart from his birth family. As a child, he was taken from his home in Yunnan province, China, in 1988 at just 4 years old. He was transported over 120 miles away to Hunan province and placed with another family. Yet, despite being surrounded by strangers, Li never forgot where he came from.

Even as a child, Li’s determination to hold on to his past was extraordinary. Unable to recall his birth name, his parents’ names, or even the name of his village, he still managed to draw a detailed map of his hometown from memory. Daily sketches of the rivers, rice paddies, bamboo forests, and winding roads became his way of comforting himself and keeping his roots alive.

Fast forward to adulthood, Li, now a father, still carried the weight of his missing past. Inspired by recent success stories of others reuniting with long-lost families through social media and state resources, he decided to give his map a second life. Sitting down after decades, he redrew the map that had always stayed vivid in his mind.

“So many years have passed. I don’t know if anyone in my family is still looking for me,” Li shared in an emotional video. “But I want to see my parents again while they’re still here.”

The response was overwhelming. Social media users quickly shared Li’s map far and wide. China’s Ministry of Public Security joined the search, and soon, they identified a woman in Zhaotong who had lost a son around the same time Li went missing. A DNA test confirmed what they had hoped—this woman was Li’s birth mother.

The emotional reunion began with a video call. The moment Li saw her, he knew: “My mother and I have the same lips, even my teeth,” he said. Days later, they met in person at a police station in Henan. A heart-wrenching video captures Li running into his mother’s arms, both overcome with tears as their family and friends surrounded them.

“I’ve finally found my baby,” Li’s mother exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion.

Li and his mother expressed their deep gratitude to everyone who played a role in their reunion, from social media users to the government agencies that made the impossible possible.

It’s astonishing how Li’s early memories, preserved through a simple map, guided him back home after 33 long years. The powerful connection to his childhood and unwavering hope ultimately brought this beautiful story full circle.

Watch the video of their moving reunion below, and share this incredible story of resilience and family with others!