China Woman Finds Long-Lost Relatives In Malaysia Using Only An Old Photo From 1991
She managed to track them down with valuable help from Malaysians on Xiaohongshu.
By May Vin Ang — 10 Mar 2025, 12:38 PM
A Chinese woman's wish to reconnect with her long-lost relatives in Malaysia recently came true — thanks to the power of social media
In December last year, Cai Jiaru, 27, from Fujian, China, took to Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu to express her curiosity about the years her grandfather spent overseas as a teenager.
According to Jiaru, her grandfather, Cai Yanmo, lost his father at a young age and was sent to live with his third aunt in then-Malaya in the 1920s when he was about 15 years old.
She said he later returned to China in the 1940s, got married, and never went back to Malaysia. However, he continued sending letters to his relatives throughout his life.
Jiaru (front row, second from right) with her extended family in Malaysia.
Image via 菜菜很努力 (Xiaohongshu)Jiaru said she often heard stories about her grandfather, but never met him, as he passed away before she was born
In a lengthy post determined to find her Malaysian relatives, Jiaru said she only knew that her great-grandaunt had married a man with the surname Wang, meaning her distant relatives would likely share the same last name, and that they lived somewhere near Tanjong Malim in Perak.
"If you have any Chinese Malaysian relatives, please share this post! I would love to visit Malaysia and meet my family this year," she wrote.
Jiaru also attached a photo of her grandmother and her great-grandaunt's son named Wang Denggao, who visited China in 1991 when her grandfather passed away.
She explained that Wang, her grandfather's cousin, had kept in close contact with him and often wrote letters to each other when they were alive.
Jiaru's grandfather's cousin, Wang Denggao (right), had visited her grandmother (left) when her grandfather passed away in 1991.
Image via 菜菜很努力 (Xiaohongshu)Amazingly, within hours, several Malaysian Xiaohongshu users responded with valuable information
One user expressed surprise upon seeing the photograph, exclaiming, "No way, that's my grandfather!"
Meanwhile, another user chimed in, saying that they personally knew Wang Denggao and had done business with him over 30 years ago in Slim River, Perak.
In an incredible turn of events, Jiaru successfully traced down her relatives in less than 10 hours
In January, she reconnected with her distant cousins and even traveled to Slim River, Perak, to celebrate Chinese New Year with them.
She expressed her gratitude, revealing that her post had gained so much traction that Xiaohongshu offered to sponsor her family's trip to Malaysia.
"The power of Xiaohongshu's algorithm truly amazed me. Thank you all! I believe my grandfather must have had a good life in Malaysia," she wrote.
She also shared heartwarming photos and videos of her reunion dinner, as well as moments from her travels in Perak while visiting their family homes.
Jiaru said she was also thankful that her journey has inspired others to look for their long-lost relatives and family members.
