Transporting joy

Children and the NGO members from Shunfengche pose at the Tian'anmen Square.

This year, they became the focus of the Shunfengche campaign. Sponsored by China Southern Airlines, 11 children from Guizhou province were transported. The youngest of them was 6 years old, while the oldest was 18. Some of them had not seen their parents for more than two years. For most children, it was their first visit to Beijing and first trip by air.

They were taken to Tian'anmen Square, the National Stadium and the National Center for the Performing Arts on the first day and had a reunion dinner together. They were then sent to their parents' home for a 10-day reunion.

"We went to all the places which before this, I've only seen on TV. Everything looks new to me," says Huang Mei, an 18-year-old senior high school student.

This is also the first time for them to see how their parents work and live in Beijing. Huang and her younger sister worked with their mother in the hotel dining room for one day.

"This is really hard work. I now understand why mommy never managed to come home for the holiday," Huang says.

This year's initiative to offer free travel to left-behind children is only a modest start, and is expected to be expanded in coming years, says Wang Yong, the founder.

"Because of the limited time, we did not manage to take more children to their parents. Hopefully we can organize something bigger next year," he says.