HOUSTON, May 27 (Xinhua) -- More than 30 children, some of whom are adopted from China, and their American parents gathered in the residence of Chinese Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin on Saturday to celebrate the upcoming International Children's Day.

On the eve of International Children's Day, which falls on June 1, Li delivered a speech, extending greetings to all the American families and their children. He praised the American families for giving love to the Chinese children and enabling them to live a happy life.

"Many of you braved difficulties in early childhood and are living a happy life with your American parents," he said.

Enjoying a film about China, performances given by the children of Chinese diplomats and authentic Chinese food, the American families experienced Chinese culture with their beloved ones.

"In a world of globalization, culture is an identity of a nation. With rich cultural heritage, Chinese people carry forward and develop the traditional Chinese virtues. At the same time we are open to new ideas and new things," Li said.

Marjorie Reichard and her husband adopted two Chinese girls, Madeline and Olivia, who are seven and five respectively. Reichard said she planned to take the two girls to China for a heritage trip when they are older.

"We have done a lot of different things to help them understand what their roots are like. If you ask them where are they from, they would say China, they were born in China," she told Xinhua.

According to figures provided by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. families adopted about 80,000 Chinese children from 1999 to 2017.