Yunnan boy has icicles on his hair after braving the cold -- to attend school

A picture showing a young boy with his hair full of icicles has gone viral online and tugged at the heartstrings of netizens worldwide.

Wang Manfu, aged 10, had walked 4.5 kilometers in minus 9-degree weather from his village home to Zhuan Shan Bao Primary School in Southwest China's Yunnan province.

The primary three student was clad in a thin jacket and made the arduous journey in an hour.

A teacher then took the picture of Wang, whose hair, eyebrows and eyelashes had turned white due to the relentless cold.

"He arrived with his hair and eyebrows completely frozen, sparking laughter among his 16 classmates," said school principal Fu Heng, who uploaded Wang's photo along with those of students with frostbite on their hands.

According to China Daily, the school's classrooms do not have heating due to a lack of funding.

Wang, whose name 'Manfu' translates to 'full of happiness', comes fromana impoverished family.

He lives in a mud hut with his grandmother and older sister, and rarely sees his parents because they are migrant workers in other cities, reported China Daily.

The viral image of Wang has put the plight of China's 'left behind children' in the spotlight.

Public donations poured in after news of Wang's story broke. The Yunnan China Youth Development Foundation raised about 300,000 yuan (around S$61,400) while its Zhaotong office collected more than 26,200 yuan (around $5,360).

Wang's village now has electricity and water.

"My family is getting help to build a new house close to the school. I think our life will get better," said Wang, who has been dubbed 'Snowflake Boy'.