Xi Li Ge reunites with family
The latest picture of Cheng Guorong, a.k.a. Xi Li Ge and his mother
Xi Li Ge (Brother Sharp), the homeless guy from Ningbo who has been hailed as "the best-looking beggar ever" by adoring netizens, was finally reunited with his family.
With the efforts of the local authority, Xi Li Ge recently met his mother and younger brother for the first time in more than 10 years, reported Apple Daily.
The real story behind Xi Li Ge has emerged following this meeting: Xi Li Ge, whose real name is Cheng Guorong, left home to Ningbo in 2000 in search of better prospects.
The family last heard from him in 2003, his brother, Guosheng, told the daily.
“He was an introvert with a strong ego. Probably he felt ashamed to come home as he did not earn much since leaving home,” he said.
When he departed to Ningbo, Guorong left behind two children, aged 10 and 11.
Guosheng said they had been trying for years to locate Guorong and at one point, even went to Ningbo. However, all efforts were in vain, until Xi Li Ge became one of the most talked-about personalities on the Internet.
Several photographs of the 34-year-old were uploaded to the Internet and the community of netizens was intrigued by the appearance of the man, who was likened to models and good-looking actors like Chang Chen.
It did not take long for his photographs to be circulated all over and his rising popularity soon drew the attention of the Chinese mainstream media and later, British newspaper The Independent, which ran a feature about him.
The local authority was alerted and when they found Guorong on the streets, the helpless man burst into tears under the glaring spotlight of the media, who swarmed around him as soon as he was found.
He was later admitted to Ningbo Mental Hospital. With the help of the local media, Guosheng and his mother rushed to the hospital to meet their long-lost family member.
It was a teary reunion for the Cheng family, with Guorong calling out for his mother and brother in their own dialect, according to Wenweipo.com.
When Guorong returned to his village in Poyang, Shangrao, he was given celebrity treatment, as villagers surrounded him and even set off firecrackers to welcome him.
However, he would have to deal with another blow, as his wife and father passed away in an accident last June, reported Mingpao.com.
Published March 10 2010
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