Social media in China is celebrating the admission to university of a young man who was abducted when he was four years old and reunited with his family 14 years later.
Sun Zhuo, who is now 21, has received an outpouring of support and good wishes as he embarks on his undergraduate journey.
On July 25, Sun, who has more than a million followers online, joyfully announced his acceptance into Nanjing Tech University on his Douyin social media account.
“It’s OK. I’ve got into a university,” he wrote under a photo of his admission notice from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, where he will major in physics.
Located in Nanjing, Jiangsu province in southeastern China, Nanjing Tech University is known for its chemistry and bioengineering courses.
His admission sparked a wave of congratulations and good wishes from his family and the online community.
His father, Sun Haiyang, expressed his joy, saying: “Blessings to Sun Zhuo. Be happy and joyful at university. Take care of yourself, and keep working hard.”
His mother and sister also shared their congratulations online while the university’s official Douyin account warmly acknowledged Sun junior, and wrote: “Welcome to the loving and caring Nanjing Tech University.”
In an interview with Cover News, Sun senior said his son was interested in computers and artificial intelligence.
He also said that, while he would have liked his son to study closer to their home in Guangdong province, southern China, he respected his decision.
“Many people ask me what Sun Zhuo is studying. I only know he is into science,” Sun senior said. “As long as he believes it’s the right path, I fully support his choices.”
In 2007, Sun junior was abducted near his home in Shenzhen by a man, surnamed Wang, and subsequently sold to a couple in the eastern province of Shandong.
For 14 years, his parents tirelessly searched for him, their efforts finally culminating in a reunion in December 2021 when, with the aid of facial recognition technology and DNA testing, police confirmed the young Sun’s identity.
Sun’s ordeal inspired the 2014 film Dearest, which was directed by Hong Kong’s Peter Chan Ho-sun.
The film grossed more than US$50 million at the box office, according to IMDb, and brought widespread attention to the issue of child abduction and human trafficking in China.
As he prepares to begin university, an outpouring of support and well-wishes for Sun flooded social media.
“The movie Dearest was promoted at Nanjing Tech University 10 years ago. Ten years later, the real-life character it portrayed has been admitted. Isn’t this a perfect depiction of destiny?” one person wrote.
“He had to adapt to a new environment, yet despite these challenges, he quickly adjusted and achieved remarkable results in the national college entrance exam.
“Hope he enjoys a happy and joyful university life. The first 20 years were full of hardship, may the rest be smooth sailing,” said another.
