Child-trafficking has long been a scourge for far too many families across China. In Chengdu, the capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, a man named Wang Mingqing has been looking for the daughter he lost 23 years ago. He’s never lost faith that one day, hopefully soon, he’ll be with her again.

Driving is Wang’s bread and butter. But his job as a taxi driver helps in his search for his daughter. He gives all of his passengers a card with information about his missing child. He also tells them his story.

Jiuyanqiao in central Chengdu is the location of the tragedy on January 8, 1994 that’s changed Wang’s life forever.

Wang said his daughter suddenly disappeared while he and his wife were selling fruits and vegetables in Jiuyanqiao. That happened in the few seconds when he was trying to find change for customers a few meters away.

Wang and his wife searched for their daughter for days, which turned into months, and then years. They tried all possible sources of information, calling police stations and welfare homes. He inquired about registered DNA samples in a police database. The girl was gone without a trace.

In the years that have passed, Wang has had two more children. But his search has never ceased. He chose to drive a taxi in 2015 to widen his net.

In the same year, China amended its criminal law, stipulating tougher punishments for child trafficking. And for the first time ever, customers of child traffickers will also be held liable.

According to some estimates, at least 10,000 children are kidnapped in China every year.

To tackle this, some new steps have already been taken. Most notably, a Chinese version of "Amber Alert" was set up in 2016 through various mobile apps, showing urgent information on missing children. Although it’s mostly effective in urban areas, some progress is being made on the long road to curbing child trafficking.”

For parents who’ve lost their children, more can always be done. Wang often meets with parents in similar situations in Chengdu. They share information to help each other, hoping for leads. They also try to warn other parents about the ordeals they’ve faced.

But all Wang can do for now is hope.

Wang said he had no idea where his daughter really is after so many years, and whether she’s gotten married. As a father, he truly wants to hold her hand and witness her wedding ceremony.

Wang says he’s not giving up anytime soon. He’ll keep waiting, even if it takes him the rest of his life.