Man reunites with family with Google Maps

Luo’s article quickly drew the attention of the website’s staff members, who assembled a team of volunteers to help Luo pinpoint his birthplace.

Wang Xuebing, a volunteer helping Luo, said he was surprised by the information Luo provided, especially the vivid map depicting the layout of the town.

“I didn’t expect that anyone at such a tender age could remember that many things about their hometown,” Wang said, adding the information did help volunteers rule out several places.

In April a volunteer based in Chongqing discovered that a couple in Linshui county, Guang’an, Sichuan province, lost a son decades ago.

Luo then used the satellite view on Google Maps to look for recognizable features.

Suddenly, the arch bridges in the village of Yao Jiaba came into view.

Volunteers headed to the village and learnt that a couple, Huang Qingyong and Dai Jianfang, lost a son some 20 years ago.

On May 3, Luo went to Chongqing for a DNA test, which identified the couple as Luo’s biological parents.

According to the Chengdu-based newspaper Huaxi Metropolis Daily, both Huang and Dai were overwhelmed with relief and joy at the reunion on May 9.

“After my son was taken, my heart was broken and I had problems eating and sleeping, worrying about his suffering,’’ the newspaper quoted Dai as saying.

Luo Gang’s real name was Huang Jun, the eldest son of the couple, who have three children.

Luo, a former construction worker in Sanming, is now helping his birth parents with farm work.

Luo planned to stay with his parents for a while and later take them to Sanming to find a new job and start a fresh life.

“I also need to go back to look after my adoptive grandparents there,” Luo said.