Mentally ill Chinese man ‘lost’ for a year reunited with family thanks to facial recognition technology

A mentally ill Chinese man who was cared for by the authorities for more than a year has finally been reunited with his family after he was identified with the help of facial recognition technology, according to a newspaper report.

The shabbily dressed man was found in January last year wandering in a tunnel at Chongqing railway station. He appeared confused, and when officials asked him where he lived he simply mumbled “money”, Chongqing Evening News reported.

Tearful reunion for Chinese couple and their daughter missing for 24 years

The man was sent to a hospital for treatment and improved, but still could not say where he came from.

Staff read out the names of all the counties in neighbouring Sichuan province as he had a thick local accent, but still could not confirm where his family came from.

Facial recognition tech catches fugitive in huge crowd at Jacky Cheung pop concert in China

Officials later contacted a technology company that was piloting a scheme with a local government to use facial recognition technology.

The man’s picture was sent to the firm and after a scan through public records was found to match a 31-year-old from the Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Sichuan.

The man was later taken to a shelter in the prefecture to meet his brother.

The relative said he was grateful his brother had returned home safely after going missing for more than a year.