A Chinese Army surveyor who had wandered over the border 54 years ago has finally been able to return home to reunite with his family.

Wang Qi, an army surveyor who says he accidentally crossed into India was jailed and detained, and then relocated into a remote region where he eventually started a new family.

He has lived in "utter poverty" since his capture and it is unclear whether he and his wife and four children would return to India.

Friends and family enthusiastically greeted the 80-year-old at the airport with a large banner that reportedly read, ‘Welcome home, soldier, it's been a rough journey.'

(Watch the joyful reunion video below from Star TV)

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