Viral ‘then and now’ photos of Chinese woman reunited with family spark trafficking debate
Por Zoey Zhang — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Trending in China People & Culture Trending in China Viral ‘then and now’ photos of Chinese woman reunited with family spark trafficking debate
Sun, believed to have come from a relatively affluent Beijing family, was fluent in English and classically trained in ballet, ballroom dancing
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Zoey Zhang Published: 9:04am, 16 Sep 2026
A woman from northern China has been reunited with her biological family after 26 years, with striking before-and-after images from her disappearance renewing public attention on the plight of human trafficking survivors.
Sun Meihua, from Shandong province, was located after an online user known as Chuxin shared her story. During a visit to a village captured on video, Chuxin encountered Sun, who had greying hair, a frail demeanour and signs of cognitive difficulties.
Chuxin soon learned that Sun was not from the area and had long harboured hopes of reconnecting with her family. Despite her intellectual challenges, Sun demonstrated remarkable abilities, including recalling foreign trade terminology and writing clearly. She was able to write her own name, as well as two names believed to belong to relatives, and identify several locations in Beijing.
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