Chinese police officer reunites nearly 500 families over 16 years, inspiring special unit
Officer Shang studied genetic principles and algorithms to create ageing images from old photographs
A police officer in eastern China displayed over 300 pennant banners he received from families he helped reunite with their lost relatives, creating a stunning landscape that covered the entire basketball court outside his office.
Shang Chaoyang, 54, a police officer in Shengzhou city, Zhejiang province, has dedicated the past 16 years to reuniting families. In 2022, the city’s police department established a special unit in his honour, specifically focused on the search efforts he leads.
On a wall of this unit, a record is maintained of the families they have assisted nationwide, which includes over 7,300 help requests and the successful reunification of 483 families over the past 16 years.
Shang noted that the unit was relocating its office closer to the city centre to make it more accessible for those in need. In light of this, he decided to display the hundreds of pennant banners he received from grateful families as a gesture of appreciation.
The exercise also provided an opportunity to air the banners outdoors, preventing deterioration from dampness that could lead to mould growth.
In 2008, Shang began volunteering to help people search for family members in his spare time. Even for a police officer with access to extensive demographic databases, the task of locating lost relatives proved to be monumental.
