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In a remarkable tale that feels straight out of a movie, twin sisters adopted by different families in northern China unknowingly grew up just a few miles apart. At age 17, they became best friends—only to later uncover the astonishing truth that they were siblings.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, the girls, Zhang Guoxin and Hai Chao, were placed for adoption when they were only 10 days old, as their birth parents were unable to care for them. One stipulation during the adoption process was that families adopt both girls within the same city in Hebei province. Despite being raised separately and unaware of each other’s existence, fate eventually brought them together.
The discovery began when a classmate told Hai that a shop assistant in town looked exactly like her. Intrigued, she went to the store and was stunned by the uncanny resemblance between her and Zhang. Hai described feeling an immediate bond the moment they met.
Hai recalled how quickly their friendship blossomed. “We talked about everything and became inseparable,” she said.
Although both adoptive families had always known the girls were twins, they kept the secret, fearing that revealing the truth might lead to them being reclaimed by their biological parents. It wasn’t until 14 months after the girls met that their families finally revealed their true relationship.
To determine who the elder sister was, the two playfully resorted to rock-paper-scissors. Zhang won—an outcome later confirmed by their families to be accurate.
Even after learning the truth, the coincidences didn’t stop. Without discussing it with each other, both women ended up buying apartments in neighboring buildings. Now 37, they each have a 13-year-old child, and incredibly, their children ended up in the same class at school, completely by chance.
