Root-seeking Tour Concluded; Love of Homeland Treasured in Memory
—— Root-seeking Children Reluctant to Say Goodbye to Hometown
The root-seeking tour of “Travel Ten Thousands Miles to Thank China” organized by the Bridge of Love Adoption Service (BLAS) came to a successful conclusion. During the nine-day tour, 37 adoptive families from Australia, Canada, the UK, Netherlands, Sweden and the US have been received with great courtesy and presented with warm welcome.
During the tour, the adoptive families visited the Ministry of Civil Affairs, where they met with the Minister Li Xueju, the vice Minister Dou Yupei, and heads of concerning departments. In the meeting, they felt the sincere solicitude of Chinese government for the adoptive children.
They also visited China Center of Adoption Affairs, where the adoptive parents and adopted children looked around offices, and understood the standardized administration and the meticulous procedure of foreign-related adoption in China. During their visit to the Bridge of Love Adoption Service, the adoptive children, under the guidance of the staff working there, learned to write Chinese characters and to sing Chinese songs, from which they all felt that the Chinese culture is extensive and profound.
During their visit to welfare institutes, the adoptive families saw that the great changes have taken place and children are living a happy life. The adoptive children and children living in the institutes played games, and celebrated the Thanksgiving Day together. The adoptive children also learned to make dumplings and planted memorial trees. All of these activities helped the adoptive children feel more grateful toward the institutes and feel more love toward China.
At parting, a few adoptive parents and adoptive children shared their feelings with the BLAS staff. James Grant, an adoptive father from the US, said, “We came to the welfare institute and met the caretakers who had taken care of my daughter in those years. I talked with them and understood that they had devoted so much love and energy to my daughter. They are respectable and admirable people. We will always remember them.”
Huang Limiao, an adoptive child from Huanggang, Hubei province, showed BLAS staff her diary that she had written during the root-seeking tour to China. She said, “Before I came to China, I told all of my classmates that I would go back to visit China, my birthplace. Now, I will tell them what I have seen and heard here and share with them this wonderful tour. China is my home country, in which there are people who love me and people whom I love. I am rather proud of it.” Huang Yueyuan, an adoptive child from Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, is already in her twenties. At present, she is teaching English in a Fuzhou-based university. She made a special trip to Zhanjiang from Fuzhou to participate in the root-seeking activity. At the farewell banquet, she said to everyone present there, “This is my second visit to the welfare institute. I am touched more deeply this time than in the first visit. During this tour, I met so many adoptive children like me and stayed together with so many adoptive parents, which make me feel so much moved. China is where my root is and I will reward China. I have decided to continue teaching in China and to make my own contribution to China.”
Having given hug after hug, taken photo after photo, waved goodbye after goodbye, and shed tears after tears, these 37 adoptive families departed on November 29 from Huanggang and Zhanjiang respectively to fly back to their countries. At parting, they expressed their gratitude toward China’s departments of civil affairs, China Center for Adoption Affairs, the Bridge of Love Adoption Service, the welfare institutes and all people who made contributions to this tour. They also said that as long as there is an opportunity, they would come back to China and to the welfare institute again, because China is where the children’s root is.
