Special Coverage

Many have heard the ancient Chinese story of a man who sacrifices his own baby to save an orphan of a princess, but few know about the real life of modern-day orphans in China. Would someone still be willing to help or rescue them? In our special report, we hope to offer you some insight into the life of an orphan in China, the issues surrounding the problem, and the measures to improve the life of those often forgotten.

                                                             China's orphans in numbers

How many orphans are there in China? There was no clear answer for many years. But in 2005, the Ministry of Civil Affairs conducted the first nationwide investigation about the condition of orphans and found 573,000 juveniles were without parents or anyone to take care of them, and 90% of those were living in rural areas.

In 2009, the number of orphans on the Chinese mainland reached 712,000, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, about 24 percent higher than the 2005 figure，mainly due to adding those living with relatives.

"Although the government continues to step up aid efforts, one-third of orphans are still living without regular help or are threatened by hunger, disease and insecurity, and many are forced to commit crimes," Wang Zhenyao, director of the One Foundation Philanthropy Research Institute at Beijing Normal University, told Southern Daily in 2010. He also estimated there are more orphans in China than the published number, as they were reported by local authorities and thought to be incomplete.

Orphan life through a lens

Orphan chaining scandal exposes flaws 

100,000 children adopted overseas

Desperately seeking real mom

More than 100,000 Chinese-born orphans and children with physical disabilities have been adopted by overseas parents over the last 30 years, a government official said on July 4 in Beijing.

Overseas adoption has become an important channel through which to find homes for orphaned and disabled children, said Minister of Civil Affairs Li Liguo at a ceremony held for 130 US families and 200 adopted children who came back to China to "seek their roots."

Li said the adoption system has improved constantly in recent years, with an increasingly mature legal system and expanding social impact.

China has cemented adoption agreements with 138 government bodies and children's organizations in 17 countries.

Finding a family for the children does not mean the end of the government's work, Li said.

"The nation's care for these children will last throughout their growth," he said.

Most of the 200 children who attended the ceremony were adopted from children's welfare centers in the city of Chongqing and the provinces of Guangdong, Hunan, Anhui and Fujian, according to the China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption.

The students will visit the cities of Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Guilin with their parents during their 10-day visit, which is being financed by the central government in a bid to encourage more adopted children to return to China and familiarize themselves with their native culture. (Xinhua)   

Adopted Chinese kids seek their roots 

Learning to write the Chinese characters for "love" and "happiness" in a Beijing classroom was the first activity for a group of American families on a cultural tour of China on Tuesday.

But this was not a typical tour group, although the parents may have been born and raised in the United States, their children were born in China, before being adopted to be raised on the other side of the world.

Some 130 American families with 200 adopted Chinese children are scheduled to spend three days in Beijing. Activities include a cultural class in the China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption, which is in charge of overseas adoption affairs, visiting tourist attractions such as the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall, and taking a bite of famous Peking Duck.

The group will then travel to three popular tourism cities of Xi'an, Chengdu and Guilin. The Chinese government will cover their travel expenses in China. [more]

Jenna Cook was abandoned at a local sub-district office in Wuhan soon after she was born in 1992. A local family took care of her for three months before she was adopted by an American lady by the name of Margaret Cook. Now, she’s a sophomore in at Yale.

"I am a Chinese girl adopted by foreigners… My dream is to find my birth parents. I don’t hate them. I want to tell them I feel very grateful for bringing me into the world. Mom dan Dad: I miss you very much, I hope one day I can hug you."Jenna said.

Cheryl Bonfils-Rasmussen from Texas plans to take her two daughters to visit their Chinese "hometowns". The girls were adopted from child welfare institutes in East China's Jiangsu province and Southwest China's Chongqing municipality."They are very proud of their Chinese background. They perform Chinese dances at school at New Year festivals and other cultural events and when teachers want to talk about Chinese culture, they often ask the girls to participate and share their cultural heritage with the classroom." Bonfils-Rasmussen said. 

Gui Dongling shakes hands with policeman Cao Ping at Langli police station, Changsha, Hunan province, June 29, 2012.

Cao Ping found Gui Dongling was abandoned in a box by the road on Jan 2, 2003.

Finally, she was adopted by an American couple on Nov 2, 2003.

" Langli police station is my home forever, and the police here are my dad and mom." She said.

Then US Ambassador Huntsman and his wife take their adopted Chinese daughter Yang Leyi back to her birthplace of Yangzhou on Dec 3, 2009. 

Yang Leyi hugs with her "Mama" of Yangzhou Child Welfare Institute in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, Dec 3, 2009. 

Yang Leyi (R, front) gives a present to her "Mama" of Yangzhou Child Welfare Institute in Yangzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Dec 3, 2009.  

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