Volunteers pose with 8-year-old Wang Fuman after helping him put on a pair of gloves. (Photo/Chinadaily)
Wang Fuman, also known as "Ice Boy," is living out his dream of visiting Beijing. The 8-year-old from southwest China's Yunnan Province became a nationwide Internet sensation last week after a photo of him in classroom with frosted hair went viral. Wang braved frigid temperatures, wearing nothing but a thin coat, to walk 1.5 hours to school.
The photo is a reminder of the other tens of millions of left-behind children who also grow up in impoverished rural areas. Many of the children live by themselves while their parents work in big cities to support them financially.
"Ice Boy" Wang Fuman lives in a ramshackle home with his sister and elderly grandmother. /Paper Photo
Wang studies at Zhuanshanbao Primary School in mountainous Ludian County of Yunnan's Zhaotong City. His commute from home to school is 4.5 kilometers. On that freezing day, he walked the mountainous trek as temperatures dropped to a frigid minus eight degrees Celsius. Wang said, "It's cold to go to school, but it's not hard."
His story of dedication touched netizens nationwide. During an interview, Wang said he wants to become a policeman when he grows up so that he can help people. He also expressed his desire to visit the capital city of Beijing. After learning about Wang's dream, teachers and students from the People's Public Security University of China extended a warm invitation for him to visit their campus and offered encouragement as he pursues his goal in the future.
Wang, who had never left his native town, arrived in Beijing with his father on Friday afternoon. At the start of his Beijing journey, Wang felt a bit nervous as the plane took off, but those fears were drowned out by his excitement for the three-day trip. Part of his trip includes meeting the instructors and students at the police university and watching the police training program.
Volunteers pose with 8-year-old Wang Fuman after helping him put on a pair of gloves. /Chinadaily Photo
Wang's viral photo has brought big changes to his life and the lives of those around him. Besides visiting his dream city and the Beijing-based university, Wang's father also got job closer to home. His father said the family has received donations of more than 10,000 yuan (1,550 US dollars) from all over the country. People also sent Wang and his old sister winter clothes, shoes and notebooks, China Daily reported.
Following Wang's story, Yunnan's China Youth Development Foundation has launched a public donation campaign for students in the province's impoverished areas. As of Monday, the foundation had collected nearly 2.8 million yuan (434,500 US dollars) in public donations, according to the official website.
