The Beginning

When we received Maya last Sunday, I was able to talk to the orphanage director via a translator. Many parents want to visit their child's orphanage, and we were no exception. When I asked for his permission to travel to HengFeng, he responded that we would have to apply for a formal permission from the HengFeng Civil Affairs office. He could not say 'yes' or 'no' to our request. I was also told that such a request was unlikely to be granted.

The CCAA, China Centre for Adoption Affairs, is clear in its perspective on this issue. The answer is always 'no'. Families are not permitted to visit their child's orphanage at the time of the adoption. They may on subsequent visits, apply via their agency for permission, and this permission may or may not be granted. There are perhaps a thousand orphanages throughout China. Most do not participate in international adoption, and most are very, very poor. Previous visits to these orphanages have captured images on film which portray the Chinese people and government in a less than favorable light. It's a face that the government would prefer not to reveal to the western world.

I knew that I might not receive permission to travel to HengFeng, but I had to try.In the future, when Maya asked whether I had done everything I could to visit her birthplace, I wanted to be able to tell her honestly that I had. Anyone who truly knows me will know that I don't respond well to the word 'no'. I like to think of it as tenacity. Paul prefers to call it stubborness, and unfortunately for him, Maya appears to share this trait with me.

If I had to, I would have walked to HengFeng. However, since it is a three hour journey each way, a car or bus would be a more sensible choice. There are several familes who have children from counties neighboring HengFeng. I had hoped that they would also want to journey to their children's orphanages. For various reasons, they did not, and I was on my own. Paul and I both agreed that it would not be in Maya's best interests to travel to HengFeng, so he would stay behind with her in Nanchang.

I decided to rent a car to travel to Heng Feng, and as luck (actually, I prefer to think of it as divine assistance) would have it, Thursday was a 'free day' for our group. One of our guides, Ma Rui, was willing to make the journey with me, and so on Thursday morning we began our journey to Maya's birthplace.

The road to HengFeng was similar to a well-traveled interstate. I think that I had been expecting something more primitive, perhaps with potholes and rickshaws. The washrooms along the way were a different story. We had been warned about the state of the Chinese 'facilities', and they lived up to their reputation. They are one of the few things that I will not miss when I leave this country.

We arrived in Heng Feng around noon, and the director was waiting to meet us as we left the main highway. Our group of families had purchased walkers for the four orphanages, and we were able to deliver some of them directly to Maya's SWI. He expressed surprise that Paul and Maya had not accompanied me to Heng Feng, but he invited me to visit his orphanage.

I was invited to tour the children's area and was welcome to visit with the children and the nannies. Unfortunately, I was not able to meet Xu Xiang Feng, Maya's foster mother, but I had previously been told that contact with foster families is not encouraged.

The director welcomed me into his office, and he had arranged many snacks and bottles of cold water for both Ma Rui and myself. It was a very warm day, so both were very much appreciated. He showed me pictures of families who had previously adopted children from HengFeng, and he showed me the many photo albums which families had sent to him over the years. In the photo above, he is holding an album which contains pictures of Maya's foster sister Olivia. He assured me that after Chinese New Year, he would deliver the album to Xu Xiang Feng. I was also able to say hello to the nanny who cared for a little girl named Leah. Leah now lives in California, and her parents have expressed the desire to return to Heng Feng one day.

After a short tour of the orphanage, we were invited to share lunch with him and the director of Children's Services at a local hotel. It was a lovely meal and I was deeply touched by this man's generosity, and kindness. We later were able to visit the site of Maya's abandonment, and I was able to take photos to show Maya when she becomes older. I had expected only to visit the town of HengFeng and to see the abandonment site. Instead, I was welcomed with open arms into the orphanage. Previous familes have told similar tales.

I believe that the director truly wants to welcome families to HengFeng, but that his hands are tied by the red tape of government. I also believe that we as adoptive families have to be repectful of his requests not to display photos or videos of the children on the internet. To do so would reflect poorly on him, and perhaps force him to adopt a firm stand against visits to his orphanage. FengCheng SWI (another orphanage in Jiangxi) not only forbids family visits but refuses to allow families to take photos outside the gates of its property.


The director is a kind man who genuinely cares for the children in his orphanage. The building which houses the children was built in 2006, largely with funds donated by adoptive families. He receives very little financial assistance from the Chinese government or from the CCAA, and both he and Ma Rui have told me that Heng Feng is the poorest county in Jiangxi province. One need not venture far off the property to confirm this fact.

The children in his care appeared to be healthy and happy. The rooms, while not extravagant by any estimation, were clean, and well-cared for. The nannies and care-givers really appear to love these children.

When I returned to Nanchang in the evening, several families asked me if the day was very difficult for me. Strangely enough, it wasn't. My journey to HengFeng provided a confirmation that my daughter was loved by the caregivers at the SWI, and also by her birth mother. The best way for me to describe it would be to say that it was a comforting experience for me.

The two best days in my life were when I married my husband Paul, and when Maya became our daughter. The day I traveled to HengFeng, to my daughter's birthplace, follows closely behind.


(Liz, thank-you for following our blog. The most recent photos of Maya are a few entries down. We promise to post many more. Best Wishes - Angela)