January 3, 2011, Monday - Guo Gangtang has already traveled through most of China (the dots on the map are places he has been to).
Picture of Guo Zhen before he was abducted.
Guo Gangtang's motorcycle hanging with child-seeking information.
Chatian farmer Guo Gangtang, over the past 14 years, has traveled across all provinces in the country except Xinjiang, Tibet, and Qinghai, helping more than ten parents find their lost children...
Almost traveling through all provinces in China, along the way helping more than ten children find their parents.
Shangbao Jinan message: "Zhenzhen, another year has passed in the blink of an eye. Are you doing well? It's time to come home, darling. Dad misses you so much." Yesterday at noon, in Quancheng Square, Chatian farmer Guo Gangtang began his new round of searching for his son. Fourteen years ago, due to his negligence, his then two-and-a-half-year-old son Guo Zhen was deceived away. In these fourteen years since his son was lost, he rode his motorcycle through all provinces except Xinjiang, Tibet, etc., looking for his son, and also helped more than ten children find their parents.
Guo Gangtang is from Litaizun Village, Economic Development Zone, Liaocheng, Shandong Province. He originally had a happy family; his wife was diligent and hardworking, and he owned two tractors for transporting goods, making him a wealthy household in the area. However, all this beauty disappeared with the loss of his only son, Guo Zhen. "That day was September 21, 1997. My wife was cooking inside, and Guo Zhen was playing outside by himself. Fifteen minutes later, when we looked for him again, he was gone."
Upon learning that his son was missing, Guo Gangtang immediately knelt down in front of everyone in the village, asking them to help him find his child. He also set off on his motorcycle on a long journey to search for his son. During these 14 years of searching for his son, he once got lost in the mountains, had car accidents, became a beggar, and was even once mistaken as a human trafficker and arrested, but he never thought of giving up. However, regrettably, no matter how hard he searched, there was still no trace of his son.
Although he did not find his own son, Guo Gangtang helped more than ten trafficked children reunite with their families. However, when the parents who found their children through the information he provided wanted to thank Guo Gangtang, they could never find him. "I am truly glad that they can reunite, but I dare not meet them. I'm afraid I will not be able to hold back my tears because my Zhenzhen hasn't come home yet."
"I will not give up unless I find my son and see that he is living happily now. Then I won't disturb him. Otherwise, I will keep searching," Guo Gangtang firmly told reporters when asked about his future plans. This edition was written by reporter Chen Jing.
Photographs for this edition were taken by reporter Pan Bing.
"The Song of Seeking a Child"
When night falls, dear, are you afraid of the dark?
When it gets cold, dear, where do you sleep?
Are there helpless tears on your face?
Without you, my heart is broken.
The north wind blows, dear, how do you face it?
I worry about your safety constantly.
Losing you, I am on the verge of breaking down.
Searching for you all over the world, I cannot fall asleep.
Through countless difficulties and traversing thousands of mountains and rivers,
Come back quickly, my dear.
Don't let mom's sky turn black.
Searching for you everywhere, tearing my heart apart,
Suffering unbearable torment, I am utterly exhausted.
Come back quickly, my dear.
Don't let mom's world be filled with tears.
After 14 years of seeking, the heart becomes increasingly conflicted
"If the son is doing well, I won't bother him"
Yesterday morning, the first feeling I had upon seeing Guo Gangtang on Luoyuan Street was shock. Although just 40 years old, he already had white hair all over his head, his face full of vicissitudes and helplessness. Due to continuous travel, both he and his motorcycle were splattered with mud. After the reporter assured him that he would not take too much of his time and personally send him to the station, this father finally agreed to be interviewed.
Reporter: Hello, thank you very much for accepting our exclusive interview, zxy_Sina Blog A.
Guo Gangtang: I should thank you. Since Guo Zhen was lost, the media has given me great help.
Reporter: I heard your child was lost when he was only two and a half years old?
Guo Gangtang: Yes, it's all my fault. Back then, I was always busy running transport services to make money and neglected my basic responsibilities as a father. It was punishment. I remember clearly, that day was September 21, 1997, around four in the afternoon. My wife went home to cook, letting Guo Zhen play outside by himself for a short while. Just fifteen minutes later, he was gone. (Tears were welling up in Guo Gangtang's eyes.)
Reporter: I heard that the entire village helped you look for him.
Guo Gangtang: After receiving the news, I immediately pulled my wife and knelt down in front of the villagers, asking them to help us search. We almost turned nearby villages upside down until we later learned that the child had been abducted by a human trafficker.
Reporter: How did you know at the time that the child had been abducted?
Guo Gangtang: Someone saw a middle-aged woman with a stout figure wiping sweat off Guo Zhen, and others saw Guo Zhen following her out of the village. Villager Li Xianglan said that woman was brought by her, and she even ate breakfast at her house. That woman almost tricked away Li Xianglan’s daughter as well. Almost everyone in our village belongs to one big family. When they learned that my son was missing, all the villagers rushed to my house that night and donated nearly 50,000 yuan. The young and strong laborers from the village voluntarily organized themselves to help me search in nearby provinces and cities. At one point, more than 500 people helped in the search, but nothing was found.
A momentary oversight
Two-year-old son was abducted
14 years, almost traversed all provinces in China
Reporter: Some say that in order to find your child, you have ridden nearly 10 motorcycles to ruin. Is that true?
Guo Gangtang: About that many. At the time, to go out and search for my child, I rode the only motorcycle we had at home. After it broke down, I replaced it, all in hopes of finding my child sooner. Except for Xinjiang and Tibet, I've basically covered all provinces on the Chinese mainland. (He took out a map marked with red dots) Look, wherever I've been, I mark it with a red dot. To date, not only provincial capitals, but large and medium-sized cities in various provinces, I've been to all of them.
Reporter: You've been searching for nearly 14 years. Have you been able to support yourself financially while being away from home for such a long time?
Guo Gangtang: Since Guo Zhen was lost, all my thoughts have been focused on finding my child. I haven't worked or worried about the financial situation at home until a few years ago, when I returned home and saw my elderly mother, suffering from lumbar disease, struggling to feed the ducks. Only then did I realize that our family really had no money left. My father worked at a restaurant, working more than ten hours every day. It was then that I realized how unfilial I had been. But finding Guo Zhen is the hope of our entire family. As long as I can continue, I will not give up.
Ran up to 728 kilometers in one day
Reporter: How did you overcome these challenges?
Guo Gangtang: Initially, I did odd jobs to sustain myself, but the downside was that I wouldn't get paid until three days after completing the work, which wasted time. Later, while in Wenzhou, I accidentally discovered that gourds from Liaocheng were quite popular there. So, I started growing and processing gourds at home and then selling them in the south.
Reporter: Can these activities cover your expenses?
Guo Gangtang: How could they possibly cover everything? Sometimes, I didn't even have enough for gas. On one occasion, I ran 728 kilometers in a single day.
Reporter: Did you ever think about giving up?
Guo Gangtang: No, a few years ago, I couldn't bear the pain of losing my son, so I followed a friend's advice and had two more sons. But I found that instead of alleviating my pain, whenever I looked at them, I missed Guo Zhen even more.
Reporter: Have you ever mistaken another child for yours?
Guo Gangtang: Once in Henan, I saw a little boy. Even though he didn't resemble Guo Zhen, because I missed my child so much, I felt like it was my son. I followed him all the way home, and the boy's father thought I was a human trafficker and almost called the police on me.
Helped more than a dozen children find their parents
Reporter: Although you haven't found Guo Zhen, over the years, you've helped many parents find their lost children.
Guo Gangtang: I've already helped more than a dozen children reunite with their families, which has been the biggest comfort for me over the years.
Reporter: Did helping someone else's child find their family give you confidence?
Guo Gangtang: In 1999, right after ruling out a child from Shaanxi who looked very similar to Guo Zhen, coincidentally, I met a relative of that child on my way home. With the clues I provided, they reunited quickly. I felt particularly proud at that time.
Reporter: After 14 years, Guo Zhen has grown up. Would you recognize him if you saw him?
Guo Gangtang: I don't know. After all, it's been 14 years, and people's appearances can change significantly. But I believe we have a mental connection.
Reporter: If he is currently doing well, would you reveal your identity to him?
Guo Gangtang: (Silent for a long time) I don't know. This is something I feel conflicted about. As you mentioned, so many years have passed, and no one knows his current situation. Now, the main reason I am looking for my son is to confirm whether he is doing well. If he is living happily, I think I won't disturb him.
Eternal love
How many 14-year periods are there in a lifetime!
During the interview, the reporter was deeply moved by Guo Gangtang's perseverance in searching for his son. Over the past 14 years, he has ridden 10 motorcycles into disrepair, traveling across half of China, never retreating despite any difficulties.
In these 14 years, each city Guo Gangtang visited ended in disappointment, like commas. What's remarkable is that he expanded his love for his son into a greater, universal love, helping more than a dozen trafficked children reunite with their parents, yet firmly refusing any compensation from those he helped.
However, some people do not understand Guo Gangtang's hardships over the past 14 years, nor his lack of results. They believe his actions aren't worth it. If he had stopped searching for his son, he could have had another child. Given his diligence and intelligence, he might already be a well-known rich household in the area.
Regarding this, Guo Gangtang expressed his intention to continue searching in the future without giving up... hoping to bring closure to his quest for his son.
From him, the reporter genuinely felt the eternal love a father has for his child. Wishing Guo Gangtang finds his son Guo Zhen soon.