Nearly ￥3 mln has been donated in support of China’s ‘Ice Boy’

A photo of a young boy arriving at school last week with his hair covered in ice has caused Chinese netizens to open up their hearts, as well as their wallets.

Last Monday morning, an 8-year-old kid named Wang Fuman entered his Zhuanshanbao Primary School in mountainous Zhaotong County with his hair and eyebrows covered in frost. To get to school each day, Wang must walk 4.5 kilometers. On that morning, he had to make the hour-long trek as temperatures dropped to a frigid -8 degrees Celsius.

The photo of a nearly frozen Wang quickly went viral on Chinese social media with many netizens asking what they could do to help.

Since then 2,796,412 yuan ($434,000) has been donated to the Yunnan Youth Development Foundation as of 4 pm on Monday. The foundation plans to use that money to help impoverished children in rural areas around the province this winter.

Last Wednesday, county officials paid a visit to Wang’s school to hand out the first round of donations, totaling 100,000 yuan. Each student was given 500 yuan in “winter subsidies.” Those in need were also given warm clothing like gloves. While the school provides its 81 students with breakfast and lunch, its classrooms are not heated, even in the dead of winter.

Meanwhile, Wang, now known across the country as “Ice Boy” (冰花男孩), has turned into an internet celebrity overnight. A typical “left-behind kid,” Wang normally lives in a ramshackle home with his older sister and ailing grandmother. However, his migrant worker father returned home last week to deal with his son’s newfound fame and has now been offered a construction job nearby.

Wang’s incredible dedication to learning, quiet toughness, and inspirational selflessness has touched hearts around the country. The 8-year-old says that when he grows up he wants to be a policeman so he can help catch bad guys. His New Year’s resolution is to study hard and make some money to help buy medicine for his sick grandma.

After returning home, his father gave him 5 yuan. Rather than spend it on something, Wang told reporters that he is saving it in case someone in his family gets ill.

If you’d like to make a donation of warm winter clothing to Wang’s school, you can send to the following address:

Yunnan Province, Zhaotong City, Ludian County, Xinjie Town, Zhuanshanbao Primary School (南省昭通市鲁甸县新街镇转山包小学). Postal Code (邮编): 657100.

And if you’d like to donate some money, here’s the bank account information for the local youth development foundation:

账号 (account number)：53001636136051004515，账户 (account name)：昭通市青少年发展基金会，开户行 (bank)：建行昭通昭阳支行，热线 (hotline)：0870–224651.

You can also look at the left column on the provincial foundation’s website (http://www.ynprojecthope.org/pro/pro.aspx) for other ways to donate.

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