A Chinese schoolboy's determination to get to school despite the harsh winter conditions has taken social media by storm.

Photos of eight-year-old Wang Fuman in class, shared by his principal Fu Heng on Tuesday (Jan 9), show icicles that had formed on his hair and eyebrows.

According to reports, the Primary 3 boy braved minus 9 deg C conditions, walking 4.5km for an hour from his home to his school in Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, to sit an exam.

In the photo, his classmates are seen looking amused in the background.

"The child is cute. When he arrived in class, he pulled a funny face at his classmates, making them laugh," Mr Fu told news site People's Daily.

Mr Fu also said it was the first day of the final examinations and temperatures had plunged quickly within half an hour, while the boy was already on his way to school.

The boy lives in a mud house in Ludian with his grandmother and older sister, according to an interview with social media site Pear Video.

His family is supported by his father, who is a migrant worker in another city, while his mother left the family.

Other photos shared on social media of the boy also show his rough hands, which had turned dry and wrinkly. He also suffered from frostbite.

The boy told Pear Video reporters that apart from school, he also helps his grandmother with farming work, resulting in his rough hands.

He also added that he missed his father, whom he had not seen for a few months.

Many netizens were sympathetic to the boy's plight, with one Weibo user encouraging him to study hard to change his destiny.