Love across International Boundaries

跨越国界的爱

by Gaoyou Vice-Secretary Ni Wencai

Love Across International Boundaries = Kua Yue Guojiedi Ai = 跨越国界的爱

In early December 2006, just after we returned from a visit to Gaoyou, Ni Wencai first approached me about his plans for a book. He included a thoughtful list of questions about why we adopted a child from China and what the process was like. His questionnaire was also distributed on the AdoptGaoyou message board and many other families from around the world told Wencai their story and sent pictures.

The Vice-Secretary spent two full days with us when we visited Gaoyou in 11/06. He has also personally greeted, and spent time with, many more adoptive Gaoyou families when they visited Gaoyou. All this time spent with the families, and e-mail correspondence with many more, has gone into his book "Love Across International Boundaries". At 167 pages Love Across International Boundaries is full of photos of the children adopted from Gaoyou, their families, activities, and stories of their adoption journeys. The book is currently only available in Gaoyou but attempts are being made to make it available outside China. The text is almost entirely in Chinese but a translation is in the works.

When Wencai first told me of his book idea he described his plan to make my family's story to be the foundation for the book. It appears that he did do just that. We are humbled and honored by this, but grateful that so many other families stories, and pictures make up the bulk of his book. Although I can't read the text, I sense that this book celebrates the love that all the families have for their children as well as the love that the people of Gaoyou extend to their children abroad.

The adoptive families of Gaoyou are blessed to have Ni Wencai as a friend in Gaoyou. In my limited knowledge I know of no other city in China where a local official has reached out the the adoptive community as he has. I know that many adoptive parents wonder how the Chinese people really view them. With Wencai's new book, and his continuing work to encourage visits to Gaoyou, I know that we will always be welcome there.

One of my goals in raising our two children adopted from China is to instill in them a pride in their heritage and a connection to their roots. Wencai's work is priceless to reinforcing that bond. My heartfelt thanks go out to him.

Charles Day

查尔斯天

View a complete pdf of Love Across International Boundaries here. Notes This file is fairly large (14 mb). You may need the latest Acrobat Reader 9 to view properly. Use the Bookmarks feature to access links to chapters and pictures in the book.

View a English translation of Love Across International Boundaries here. Notes You may need the latest Acrobat Reader 9 to view properly. Chapter 2, 4, 5, and 6 are complete translations thanks to Anna Xie of Australia, Jane of ?, and Lin Sun of the San Francisco Bay area. Use the Bookmarks feature to access links to chapters in the book.

New 7/5/08- Rough software translation of the Chinese text

Table of Contents