fact that her dad lived across the globe and thought of her every day and felt so much love and guilt, while some dads live in same city as their kids and dont give a shit, is just heartbreaking

For those wondering what the note says: “Our daughter, Jingzhi, was born at 10am on the 24th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, 1995. We have been forced by poverty and affairs of the world to abandon her. Oh, pity the hearts of fathers and mothers far and near! Thank you for saving our little daughter and taking her into your care. If the heavens have feelings, if we are brought together by fate, then let us meet again on the Broken Bridge in Hangzhou on the morning of the Qixi Festival in 10 or 20 years from now.”

Kudos to the adoptive parents for doing a good job in raising Katie to be an emotionally matured adult.

It's so strange to think that thousands of girls have similar stories. I'm also adopted from China and raised in the US. My parents told me from the beginning, "your biological parents loved you so much and sacrificed their lives to give you up and give you a chance for a better life". Although I was never interested in finding my biological parents, I believe they really did love me and had no option bc of the 1 child policy.

'You look so much like your mum .. but you don't understand what I'm saying', said her mum. That hit hard

one minor translation error here. When they're at the video chat, after Kati's biological mother said "thank you", she didn't just say "for taking care of Kati" but "for raising her to become such a wonderful child."

As an adoptee from China myself, this definitely hits home. It's so interesting to see how us adoptees ended up and also to see the similarities. I hope that one day, I will find my biological parents as well.

Kati was so open and forgiving - she never blamed her biological parents and wanted to meet them with open arms. Wow. And kudos to the adoptive parents for their unwavering love and support, they're amazing too! This is moving and impactful. Glad there was a happy ending.

I lost it and cried when her parents gave her the red packet full of 20 years of money. Red packets is a custom, older married relatives will always give the younger generation red packets. This means every chinese new year, they put aside money and saved red packets for her. Every year they were thinking of her, probably prepared two red packets - one for her sister and one for her - and saved it for their younger daughter, hoping to give it to her one day. The level of thoughtfulness and love for their daughter completely blows my mind.

I like the Dad. He's an old romantic. "Meet me on the bridge in 20 years".

The biological dad won my heart. How expressive he is of his love and regret. And the fact that like every Asian dad, he too likes to text his children Goodnight and Good morning. I loved this.

Being an adoptive parent is so difficult. You walk a very thin line. I don't think they get enough credit. People will always have something to say. Make sure you keep the kid close to their culture, make sure they know the language, make sure they learn their history. All the while, people forget how difficult it is raising a child as is.

Can we talk about what a legend her biological father is.

IT BROKE MY HEART WHEN SHE COULDN’T UNDERSTAND HER MOTHER’S FIRST WORDS TO HER! Oh my God...

Kati has been doubly blessed with two sets of parents who truly love her very much. Glad that she has finally met her birth parents.

As an adopted child, I understand that they were afraid that they would lose her love. However if they trusted the upbringing they provided, they would see that they would never lose her love. My adopted mom is my mom. My birth mom is a friend.

Yo they signed it "from your heartless parents" I am in tears

"her birth dad texts her "good morning" and "good night" every day" - i cry so hard

I could understand the mother, the father speaks in a dialect that I’m not familiar with. But their anguish was obvious. And when they pulled out the lucky money, it had me crying. That’s what parents do every new year for their children.

Oh wow I'm bubbling like a baby. You can literally feel their pain on the bridge 😭 You notice how the Mum didn't smile once until she got her baby back? She looked like a whole new woman 😭❤️

Can we talk about how considerate the biological parents were? That, despite the heartache they already had, they were willing to wait TEN to TWENTY YEARS so that the adoptive parents might get comfortable with the idea. And you can see on their faces that they were thinking about her every day of their lives. I don't think any of us can imagine that kind of pain.

The biological parents always holding her hands, like trying to make up all those years they missed her

18:07 “Can you ask Kati if it hurts?” her sister is so sweet 😭

To have 1 parent that loves you more than anything is a beautiful thing!, but to have 4 parents who love you unconditionally is a beautiful blessing that no one should take for granted!! ❤

man wtf this sad af, this quarantine got me watching all types of stuff

Shout out to the American mum who did not forget to give her piano and violin lessons haha

I was also adopted from China, at only a year old by an American family in 2001. Ever since I was a little girl, I wondered who my real parents were and if they ever still think about me. As much as I love my adoptive parents and sister, I still would love to meet my original family one day and get to know more about them.

As an adoptee who was forbidden to know my birth parents, I can say the ache never goes away. Science now points to a “primal” wound which occurs when a newborn is separated from the mother, the only contact they have ever known & bonded to in utero. My adoptive mother informed me that if I were to find my birth mother, I was not allowed to call her mother as she hadn’t earned it. That edict somehow broke my affection for my adoptive family. I finally learned the identity of my birth parents in my mid-fifties. Sadly my mother had died of lupus in her 20’s. But my father was still alive and keen to have contact. That connection was so healing. I understand the utility of adoption & the struggles of adoptive parents. But it must be understood that damage is done in separating a child, no matter the reason. And the need to connect to one’s origins is psychologically essential. It seems adoptive parents often create a narrative for themselves that negates/ignores the birth parent agony. Assuming a child doesn’t need their history & some kind of connection to birth parents is selfish and delusional.

Her father doesn’t need HER to forgive him. He needs to forgive himself.

The red envelope money is actually old bills not circulating anymore. So when they say they saved the money every year, they really did.

I'm glad it's not just me, a soft-hearted 72 year old dad, who cried big tears.

I am so glad that you went home and met your biological family for the first time. I understood every word that your parents spoke and it warms my heart to see that you all met again. The meal that she made you in her home was so elaborate and labor-intensive. It's the way Chinese moms show their deep love for you. I also loved the fact that your parents saved your Chinese New Year money for you knowing/hoping that they would be able to give it to you in person one day. I am thrilled to see that you are learning Chinese. It's the best way to connect to your roots. Congrats on a job well done.

The fact that her biological mother gave birth to her on a boat and by themselves are so heartbroken. It must have been very painful.

I think her adoptive parents were just terrified of losing her and unfortunately this created an environment where she didn't feel comfortable asking about her adoption.

Truely a touching story, I just wish the adoptive parents made more effort in educating their daughter on her heritage, culture and language, especially knowing her biological parents were longing to meet her. I hope the families continue to connect with eachother and get to know one another.

I'm a Chinese American and I've watched this before, and remembered the story so I found myself watching it again. Without fail, it reduces me to tears. Kati is incredibly loved by both sets of parents. Her father particularly struck me with his unyielding tenderness. Hopefully she continues maintaining a strong connection with her biological family, and get to spend some time with her sister as well since she grew up not having one. Kudos to the adoptive parents too for raising her to be a healthy adult.

Her mother was so quiet and reserved during the interviews, but when she saw her daughter she broke. She was so strong.

They made sure to keep the exact amount of lucky money each year that her sister received, because they truly loved their children equally even if they were only able to raise one.

24:05 Seeing the older sister crying got me, damn it. As heart wrenching as it was to see the parents and as much as I empathize as a biological parent myself, there’s also a lot of pain there for both her and her bio parents on that front, and a lot of pressure being put on her from her birth parents because of their own guilt and longing. But with her sister, none of that is weighing on them and neither of them have other siblings that will complicate the feelings via comparison, so they can have the chance to actually develop a normal sister relationship. For that reason, seeing her sister crying for me. Having gained a sister, and then lost a sister, and then gained a sister again, only to somewhat lose her again to the distance and language barrier (without a translator once she leaves), it just hit me deep in my gut. Maybe it’s because I always wanted a sister but I really hope they all stay in touch and Kati and her sister are able to form a real sister relationship and bond.

As an Adoptive Mother of a Korean young woman now this broke my heart. All I wanted was to share the amazing gift with the people who made her possible. I see adoptive parents who not want to think that child ever belonged to anyone but them but it did. You lose nothing by sharing and they can give that child parts of themselves they need. How lucky and complete will that child be to know and love four parents. It takes nothing away from the birth parents or the one’s that raised them. It gives balance and a full identity. I have wished this for my daughter always. No one ever came but each Country is different and I know the shame Korean women were made to feel and still are. I don’t believe for a minute she didn’t want contact.

Her birth dad texts her good morning and goodnight everyday 😢😢😭😭

When the mom said: "You look just like me, but you can't understand what I'm saying." I cried hard af

Kati is a good woman. She appreciates and can feel how much her parents love her and the feeling was instantly mutual. I like the way she handled it and how comfortable she made her parents feel.

her bio parents are the kindest souls, honestly I know this was a very complicated situation, but I fell mixed feelings on how her adoptive parents handled the situation. My parents never hid anything from me, like I felt second hand betrayal from them being so hush hush and hiding it for soooooo many years.

“Her birth dad texts her ‘Good morning’ and ‘Goodnight’ every day” IM CRYING, THAT IS SO PURE AND SWEET AND WHOLESOME AFGH 😭❤️

Can we just talk about how cute she was a kid??? Like that face and the bangs and glasses AWH

I saw a documentary once about a chinese girl, who was the second child of a family and essentially lived in hiding. She did not go to school, had no friends, was basically like in a prison. A terrible life. So I think, Kaiti's biological parents took the right decision. I am very sorry for them that they lived through such a difficult situation. I really hope they all come to terms with that history and can create something of a relationship.

What a beautiful reunion. I can see how deeply sorry the parents are. They still love her from the bottom of the heart after 20 long years.

Number one rule in parenting: Always be honest with your kids.

Iam asian. That pocket money reminds me when my parents gave me a big chunk of gold worth $80,000 when i married the one i love. I never knew they have that much money because we are just an average family (almost poor). It was a 30 years saving. I was crying a river, and i realized they always thinking about me and my sister. i accepted it to respect them even tho i didn’t want to. But i use the money to help them a lot on their old days. Iam a blessed daughter.

As someone who was adopted in China, this hits home. I'm proud of her for representing us adoptees, e.g., the maturity and the gratitude she has towards her adoptive parents. I am glad she was able to finally meet with her birth parents, and not showing any resentment. Keep being awesome, Kati!

Bawling my eyes out!!! As soon as her mum hugged her lord have mercy all that love over flowing is just priceless!!! I hope everything has been amazing for all of them ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🇬🇧 Need an update

i love how the biological dad just lit the fireworks in broad daylight "im in charge!" That dad is awesome

HER BIOLOGICAL DAD IS AMAZING

I'm an adoptive father of two wonderful daughters, now in their 30's. We adopted them at three months old in the U.S. (Caucasian daughters). We always celebrated Adoption Day for each of them as well as birthdays. I have also traveled in China several times for business, and I love the people there, so it was great to hear Kati's story. -- The only caveat I'd register here is that some people talk of their adopted children meeting their birth parents as their "real" parents, and the adoptive parents fade into the background. The stories of their meeting biological parents become "The Story," and the adoptive parents sometimes even get characterized as some sorts of "villains." -- Please, folks, remember that we, the adoptive parents, are the "real" parents in significant ways, as we're the ones who've raised and loved our children. -- Our daughters have met their birth mothers, and we have good relationships with them, for which we're thankful...but, to our daughters, *we're* their "parents." -- I'm so happy for Kati's birth family, though. What a story of love!!

I was born in one child China but was lucky(?) to have been the first born (only because the previous baby died in the womb after my father pushed my mother down the stairs during a fight). Watching this documentary absolutely broke my heart, to see how a genuinely lovely couple who so wanted their second child but was forced to give her up, not only felt that huge sense of guilt and loss, but had kept the hope of meeting her one day by the letter they so thoughtfully left her adoptive parents (to be as considerate as to suggest a meeting in 10-20 years time rather than straight away even though they would have died inside and probably cried every single day), and put aside red packet money for her. I grew up believing that my childhood was normal and how my parents behaved was normal, but this couple is how parents should be - selfless and making tough choices for the good of their family and most importantly, their child. I was abused physically and psychologically and was told that I was a mistake. My father didn’t want me so much that he threw me onto the tile floor as a baby in a fit of rage and attempted to sell me to his coworkers. He treated me with the same contempt as someone would treat a piece of eyesore furniture in their house - tolerated when it served them, but thrown around when they needed a scapegoat. Kati is incredibly lucky to have two sets of parents that love her so dearly, but she’s not lucky to have gone through the trauma of being separated from her birth parents and then to go through such a confronting reunion process. I do hope that she has been able to learn Mandarin and grow the connection she has with her birth family. Watching her birth mother’s reaction to seeing her for the first time broke me. I am the mother of two young children now and I cannot bear to even imagine the pain of having to give one of them up. It’s a level of hell that I would rather die than go through. Kati’s birth and adoptive parents are all incredibly strong and amazing people. I wish them all well.

I feel for everyone here. Adoptive parents were afraid to lose their daughter, biological parents were heartbroken, and Katie is stuck in the middle. At least she knows that she was loved. That is all we hope for.

"You look so much like me, your mother, but you don't understand a word I'm saying" oh my gosh 😭😭😭

You did an incredible job raising this child!! You two should be very proud!! Humanity thanks you!!

I was gasping for air in tears when the mother cried in her arms and telling her daughter sorry for all these years that she couldn’t find her.

If you are blaming families then you are not understanding the story. If you are blaming the adoptive parents then you do not understand love. If you are blaming the real parents then you do not understand history. This story is beautiful and I’m sure that Kati will continue to cultivate both sides of the family because of the overwhelming love they have for her.

As for the lucky money the father gave to Kati, it's composed of different versions, the black and white cash was used in the 1990s, the red one is used since 2000s, so I believe the parents really saved money to their abandonned daughter on every Chinese New Year. As a Chinese, I think her Chinese father is an intellectual, the sentences in letter he left to his daughter was kind of an old literature style of Chinese that only educated people can write, and he used a old style writing brush to write the letter, and his writing is pretty good, which also shows that he was well educated.

I’m not Chinese but I am adopted. One thing I can say is the fact she gets to meet her birth parents makes me so happy. I will never meet my dad for he died but my mother, I hope to meet her on day. She is not a good woman but it still mean the world to me. My father was a good man but died of drug overdose. I wish I could meet my father again but I never will and beaks my heart. Rip dad.

This story was so wholesome. I definitely teared up when I saw her birth mother cry. It must’ve been such a heart wrenching choice having to give their younger daughter up. But thank God they were able to reunite. May God bless both her birth parents and adoptive parents. They both obviously love her very much.

Yeah, I wouldn’t recommend watching this in a library either.

The mom crying and the girl not knowing what to do or how to act. It's so hard to watch. As a mother, I can only imagine the pain that poor woman must be feeling. But to her daughter - she is a stranger. But to the mother, the daughter is a piece of her heart. A piece that was missing for so many years.

Girl I'm so proud how you held up yours, neutral. I'm a 53 year adoptive woman and I belong to both of my families. Bless you Katie and your entire crew.

You can't imagine the amount of sorrow and guilt inside those parents. And the father is texting everyday "Good morning" and "Good night" .. such a sincere parent !!

When her birth mother cried uncontrollably it made me cry and my dog came to me to see why I was crying and make me stop crying. This is a very emotional story.

I didn't realize this the first time I watched it, but the biological dad calls her American parents her "parents" not "adoptive parents". It's so subtle, but it just shows how sweet and grateful they really are.

The sadness in the eyes of the biological mother as her daughter said goodbye is so painful to see.

“you weren’t from my tummy, but you came from my heart, you were born in my heart” so cute.

It's so sad to see how there was a language barrier between Kati and her biological parents.

My god she is so beautiful. She has her mothers face and fathers complexion. Her birthparents can't keep their hands off her, it's so sweet. And how her mother calls her "baby". The love never left, but she looks overwhelmed by it.

The reunion with her biological family had me wailing. 😩😭 You could hear and see the pain. So happy Kati got her reunion and them.

Bro these people had this baby girl on they own! Against chinas law and behind they family back! They gave this beautiful young lady the gift of life! I been crying forever now ! So emotional

For those of you saying she looks awkward and uncomfortable, she probably is! She has never met these people and spent any days with them even though they are supposed to be her close parents. This isn’t some cheesy movie, it isn’t all butterflies and rainbows when you first meet your biological parents. You don’t immediately establish some kind of long lost bond as if you knew them your entire life just because they are related. Sure you might feel emotion and a connection but they are still basically strangers. It is really hard to try to be fully comfortable with people she’s just met, but I’m sure she is trying. Also keep in mind she doesn’t speak chinese so...it can get awkward with the language barrier when she can’t really express herself or understand them. But I’m sure she is trying very hard to spend good time with them, it’s just not easy!

Today 60 years ago my mother left me in a garden in Hong Kong. I think about her a lot and I hope that even though distance and time separate us, she still think about me. I’ve got nearly no chance if ever meeting her, she might be dead for all I know, but this documentary does it for all of us who will never meet their parents. If my own parents cared as much as these parents did for Katie, then I am consoled.

As an adopted person I waited 60 years before meeting members of my birth family. Sadly, my mother was forced by social convention to give me up, but never forgot me. As she was dying, she made my sister promise to find me. I had to start the process. I feel so strongly for all parties here. But the adoptive mother was wrong to be too possessive about her daughter. At 10 would have been better. I was in tears most of the way through this.

Canada. Crying, all the way. Its must of been very hard for all parents to be force to give away there children. So so sorry. It give me faith to know that there is still love around this worl. Good luck

"You look so much like your mum... But you dont understand what Im saying" My heart breaks for the pain that mother feels. I gave birth to my first child december of last year, and I couldnt imagine a life without him. I hope she went on to learn their language so they can communicate without an interpreter Edit: it makes me so happy she's learning Mandarin 😭❤

Wow... 22 years of red envelopes... They really had her in their hearts all that time

I cried through this entire documentary. Really touched my heart.

Such a caring father ❤ It was so sad to hear him talk about their first interaction so excitedly, like him planning to say "Baby, I love you." I'm so touched and amazed. They must have been in so much pain for so long. I can't even imagine enduring all that. Such brave and compassionate parents❤❤

"Her birth father text her goodmorning and goodnight everyday" aww

When her biological mom fell into her arms on the bridge, I lost it. I could feel that deeply. So happy and so sad at the same time.

I could say that Katie is still lucky to still be able to meet her biological parents, there are still many adopted children out there who don't even know their true identities, where they come from, who their biological parents are, and that's very sad.

I am not usually moved to tears when I watch KZfaq, but this story made me cry. It’s so important to acknowledge and understand the great sense of loss and sorrow that the birth parents of adopted children suffer. It never goes away. I am so happy they were able to reunite with their daughter. Katie said she felt she reunited with her parents for them more than for herself. Gracious adoptive parents. So much love for Katie and I fully get why mom was so terrified of losing Katie when she was younger. It would have been much different had the birth parents not been in China. Katie found more than she expected and a sister! This is a truly wonderful story. Maybe more birth parents should leave a note if they have to give up their baby.

I started tearing up when her mom hugged her, crying hard and pleading forgiveness. ... my heart felt her cries.

I love how when they met on the bridge, the father gave the daughter a respectable amount of space because he knew it would be too overwhelming for her if he death-hugged her. Not to say that what the mother did was bad--I would probably do the same thing if I was her--but you can tell the daughter was kind of at a loss on what to do. The father was able to keep his emotions and impulses in check and save it for later, probably because he took into consideration the possibility that the daughter may not even want to be affectionate with them. I respect him.

The difference in the bio mom before and after meeting Katie again is truly incredible

I have no words. This is an incredible story, and I’m glad she was able to see and speak with her biological family. The fact that they had waited so long for their once lost child and hoped to see her again after a number of years is… Again, I got no words. I can only imagine that kind of pain, and the kind of relief that comes with finally seeing your child after that long.

The Chinese mom broke my heart. Look at how she was hugging Kati. I am in tears for her biological parents... She is so lucky to have another loving set of parents.. double the love

I think both families were fantastic.. but a big pat on the back to Katie who had the confidence, strength and kindness to show both families that she has room to love them all.

What a touching story of family and reunion. The amount of love that her biological family had for her was wonderful to see and I am glad that they finally had some peace of mind to know what a wonderful young woman their daughter had become. What a mature viewpoint Kati had with this life experience. I am happy that she will be able to have a relationship with both of her families. Thank you for sharing this story with me.

The oddest thing I found is that the adoptive parents weren't accompanying their daughter to meet her birth parents. Even though she's 20, it seems like they should be part of the journey/meeting as well.

"I will be happy if she accepts me as her sister" :(((

Shes lucky to have 2 sets of parents that love her that much.

An extraordinary story with emotions most of us will never know or even understand. I do not envy any of them this broken set of circumstances and achingly long wait to reunite...but as a viewer, my heart was overwhelmed with the raw emotion displayed by the birth parents and the devotion they fostered for so long, the love that only grew in those many years. My wish is for all of them is continued contact and the joys of getting to know one another...and to finally share their lives as families.

I grew up with the same tradition with the red envelopes for Lunar New Year. When I saw the dad pull out the red envelope with the money he's saved and added to every year really got the tear ducts rolling.