In a story of profound loss and rediscovery, a Chinese man has finally returned to his roots more than two decades after being snatched away as a child. Peng Congcong, now 26, was abducted at the tender age of four. For over 21 years, his biological family searched relentlessly, while he grew up hundreds of kilometres away in Jiangsu province under a different name, Zhang Kun.
The Shattering Abduction and Endless Search
Peng was just four years old when his life was violently uprooted. His parents had moved to Beijing, and one day, while playing alone near a market, he was lured away and kidnapped. His disappearance shattered his family. They reported him missing immediately, plastered posters across cities, and embarked on a desperate search that would span 21 long years.
Meanwhile, Peng was raised by another family in Jiangsu, completely unaware of his true origins. He built a life there, complete with a job, friends, a house, and a car. He believed he was from Jiangsu, a fact that was ingrained in his identity.
The Life-Altering DNA Match and Emotional Reunion
Everything changed dramatically in December 2024. Police informed Peng that, contrary to his lifelong belief, he was not from Jiangsu but from Jiangxi province. A DNA test had finally connected him to his biological family, ending their agonising wait.
Peng soon travelled to Beijing to meet his birth parents and two older sisters for the first time since his abduction. The reunion was intensely emotional. His family took him back to the market area where he was kidnapped, helping him reconnect with buried memories. Days later, they returned together to their village in Jiangxi, where his homecoming sparked a grand celebration with fireworks, feasts, and warm welcomes from relatives.
A Drastic Decision to Rebuild and Heal
The reunion forced Peng to make a series of life-altering choices. Despite having a stable life in Jiangsu, he decided to sever ties with his past. He quit his job, transferred his household registration, and sold both his house and car. “These things weren’t really mine,” he explained, feeling they belonged to the life he was leaving behind.
In an online post in December, Peng reflected on his first year back with his birth family. He described 2025 as a year of love and reunion, a fresh chapter after decades of loss. He is now determined to spend time with his parents, who lived with guilt and heartbreak for over 20 years, sharing meals and slowly healing the wounds of the past.
Peng has also begun giving back, volunteering with organisations that help families search for missing children. He supports himself by selling household products on social media, fully embracing the life he believes he was always meant to live.
