A 3-year-old boy who was sold by his own father about six months ago was rescued and returned to his mother in the Guangdong provincial capital last week, Guangzhou Daily reported.

The boy, called Xiang Xiang, was sold by his father, named Deng, to three people from Central China's Hunan province for 25,000 yuan ($4,019) on Oct 16.

But Deng, 25, a migrant worker from Southwest China's Guizhou province, later regretted the act and sought police help on Jan 7, the report said.

Police in Guangzhou's Panyu district successfully found the boy two months later in Hunan's Pingjiang county and returned him to his mother, named Hu, in Guangzhou on March 5.

Xiang Xiang had adapted to local life and could understand the local dialect when he was rescued.

Police have arrested the father and two middlemen and are continuing their search for a third one.