Three children from Shenzhen orphanages, Bao Xinsheng, Bao Ximei and Bao Guanyan, with their adoptive families after a farewell party at the Guangdong Center for Adoption Affairs in Guangzhou on Monday. The three are among five Shenzhen orphans who have found adoptive parents in the United States and Spain through an international adoption program recently. Around 500 orphans from Shenzhen have been adopted by families from 14 countries in the past 15 years.

Five orphaned children from Shenzhen have found adoptive parents in the United States and Spain through an international adoption program.

After a farewell party at the Guangdong Center for Adoption Affairs on Monday, the five children, three from Bao'an Social Welfare Center and two from Shenzhen Social Welfare Center, left the country for their new life yesterday.

Among the five, Lily Yan Maureen Burris is the oldest. The 14-year-old girl, formerly called Bao Guanyan, was adopted by Ray Alan Burris and Linda Jane Burris from the United States. The other two girls from Bao'an will have their new homes in Spain, officials with the Bao'an center said.

Aeris Salaear Serrawo (Bao Ximei) is 2 years old and Gines Salazar De Pablos and Maria Salud Serrano Suarez are her new parents. Martina (Bao Xinsheng), also 2, will stay with Juan Ignacio Fuentes Sodupe and Maria Cristina Maria Arbide.

Lily was suffering from congenital heart disease when she was found to have been discarded. She underwent surgery May 23, 2005. She met her parents-to-be during the "Journey of Hope" Winter Camp held by the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) in February 2009.

Around 500 orphans from city and district-level welfare centers in Shenzhen have been adopted by families from 14 countries over the past 15 years. Most of the adoptive families are from the United States, Spain, Australia, France, the United Kingdom and Belgium. More than two-thirds of the children were adopted by U.S. families, according to Shenzhen Social Welfare Center.

China has strict rules regarding adoption. Foreigners who want to adopt Chinese orphans must send their applications and qualification certificates to the CCAA before reviewing the profiles of orphans uploaded by welfare centers to CCAA database. All international adoptions are legally registered and certified by the authorities.

(Tina Chen, Liu Su)