Moneyless 10-year-old runaway takes bullet train to Disney by himself

APD NEWS

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A ten-year-old Chinese boy took a 308-kilometer train trip from Nanjing to Shanghai on his own by tricking his way past ticket tellers so that he could attend Disneyland for the first time.

The audacious attempt to enter the theme park was halted last Thursday when the boy asked staff for a minder to take him into Disneyland Shanghai.

The staff immediately called the police who interrogated the youngster from Nanjing in eastern China.

Police said the boy provided a picture of domestic discord, saying his mother had broken off the relationship with his father, even though they still live together.

The police started a patient conversation with the boy.

They said he was allowed to take the high-speed rail journey after telling ticket cashiers that his father had left him outside of the train. After arriving in Shanghai, the boy first went to the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Bund, two major attractions in the city.

When police asked him whether he had money, the boy said that he just took one yuan (15 cents), but had picked up a raincoat on the street. He said he felt he could rent it at Disney to earn money.

Officers said he was reluctant to give his mother’s phone number but they eventually obtained the information.

Th boy talks to his mother.

The boy’s mother was described as very anxious and said she and his father hadn't slept well for the two nights that he was missing.

She said the boy was going through a rebellious phase and had a quarrel with his father before he left home.

The news received much attention online. A Weibo user named Sometimed Zheng said, “The boy only is 10 years old. He is very organized and independent. He can think about earning money during this process, which shows talent.”

The police have reminded parents that they should earnestly shoulder guardianship responsibilities and that they need to properly communicate with their children.

(CGTN)