The National Reunion Database (aka the "Police Database”) is a nationwide DNA database in China. In recent years, birth families have been encouraged to add their DNA to this database in the hopes of being able to find their lost, missing, or otherwise separated children. Over 100,000 Chinese birth families are estimated to be in this database, far greater than any Western database, including GEDmatch. Many Chinese parents believe their children are still in China, and feel that adding their DNA to this single database will be enough to eventually find them.

We are serving as an intermediary to offer assistance in being added to the database. We feel strongly that searching adoptees should consider every possible tool available to help them locate biological family members. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide what you are comfortable with and we are unable to make any claims about future safety in regards to any DNA testing.

The National Reunion Database tests different DNA markers than most of the standard Western STR tests. If you were to match with someone in the database, and you have only submitted DNA results that were processed elsewhere (like LabCorp), we would recommend sending in your blood sample to verify the match.

This is a secondary test, only available to male adoptees (assigned male at birth). The Y-DNA test is able to identify male relatives in the database, in addition to parent-to-child matches (standard test). This additional test increases your chances of being able to locate a close biological relative.

Nanchang Project’s assistance to you is FREE! You are just responsible for purchasing the blood collection card and for shipping the sample to China.

Yes! You are welcome to arrange a group shipment to save on shipping fees. We cannot directly assist in this, but please feel free to use our Origins Searches Facebook Group to try and make a group. We recommend limiting the grouped samples to no more than 5. Keep in mind that if in the unfortunate circumstance the group shipment fails to arrive to the police officer in China, all adoptees part of your group will need to order another blood collection card and mail it to China again.

Yes! You can give your blood card (with your blood on it) and the required printed documents to your traveling friend, and they can mail it to your assigned police officer when they arrived in China. If you opt for this route, please notify our team in advance of your friend’s trip.

First, congratulations!!!! That is fantastic news! A volunteer will contact you to let you know about the match. You may also receive an email from China’s Public Security Bureau, which would be in Chinese. Please do not ignore this thinking it is spam. If you are ever unsure about a message, you may contact Nanchang Project for additional insight. After you are notified about the match, it’s important to know that you might not receive any birth family contact or information until a reunion call is arranged by the police. We recognize this may not be the approach you were hoping for. We’ve shared with the officers that adoptees often need time to prepare for such a meaningful and emotional moment and that first connections are ideally made in a more private, sensitive setting. However, this is currently how the process is handled by many Chinese police officers and for many birth families this is the only DNA test they will ever try. You will be provided your birth parent’s contact information free of charge. We have volunteers ready to assist with those first precious introductions if you would like. You are in control of what happens next.

We strongly urge Chinese adoptees to utilize as many databases as possible. This will increase your chance for a surprise match. View our list of recommended DNA tests and databases here.

Yes! One of our police officers can cross-check the information you provide to us with the profiles registered in the National Database to see if your DNA is present in their system (we can provide you with your confirmation ID). If your DNA is not confirmed to be registered, you can participate in our National Reunion Database program to help you send your blood sample to a police officer in China. To check if you were successfully registered after your in-person visit to a police station in China, complete the Check Request Form. At this time, we can only check the registration for adoptees who went in person to register their DNA.

No, sorry. At this time, we can only check the registration for adoptees who went in person to register their DNA. If you used the assistance of another volunteer or organization without going to China yourself (you sent them your STR/CODIS DNA paper report or a blood sample) and are uncertain if your DNA was properly registered, we suggest you inquire with that individual/organization directly. If you cannot get positive confirmation, you are welcome to register for our National Reunion Database program to submit your blood sample by mail following our procedures.

It is free to register your blood through a police station in China, and we encourage adoptees to enter the regional and national police databases in person at a compatible location. Use this link to locate a designated police station on this list. You will need to bring your current passport and some copies of your adoption documents (adoption registration certificate, “red book,” certificate of abandonment) to prove you were legally documented as abandoned and adopted overseas. Be sure you provide the officers with your most reliable contact information in case a match happens in the far future. It is ok to include your guide’s contact info or that of a trusted friend in China as a backup contact, but be sure your own contact details are added at minimum.

Please send any inquiries related to our assistance program for the National Reunion/Police Database to this team’s email: xunqin@nanchangproject.com