Fan Jiafa, his wife and two sons

How to deal with the fame of becoming a cyber-celebrity is now a tough question for the 8-year-old 'mini Jack Ma'.

During this year's Singles' Day, also well-known in China as the annual online shopping event on Nov. 11 launched by Alibaba, the boy, Fan Xiaoqin shot to fame soon after photos of him showing a striking resemblance to Jack Ma, circulated online once again.

However, the young boy and his poor family, who live in Yongfeng County in east China's Jiangxi Province, have to tackle the burdens that come along with such fame.

Local media reports say that people with various goals have swarmed the remote village, with some villagers saying they counted up to 50 visitors to the boy's house in just one day.

Some people and company representatives came to offer support to Fan Xiaoqin and his family, showing willingness to help to offer financial support to pay for Fan Xiaoqin's education in the future.

A businessman gave the family 6,000 yuan cash (or about US$872), an LCD television, and some groceries, just to help improve the living conditions of this family in severe poverty.

Even more people are lured to the village with commercial interests in mind.

An online streaming host from Beijing filmed his experience in Fan Xiaoqin's home, and published video clips on his broadcasting platform, only for the purpose of getting more page hits and followers on the internet.

Some entrepreneurs even forced the boy to take photos with them to promote their brands or products.

Born into a poor family, Fan Xiaoqin and his elder brother have never attended school.

His mother suffers from polio and lost an eye after getting hit by a buffalo. His 83-year-old grandmother has dementia. His father, 59, the family's sole breadwinner, lost a leg in an accident.

'Only education can change fate'

Fan Jiafa takes his sons to school.

Fan Jiafa, the father of "mini Jack Ma,” had his right leg amputated as a young man after being bitten by a viper. Left with only one leg, he was pressured to marry a mentally disabled wife who suffered from polio. Later, the couple had two sons, both of whose learning abilities are stunted.

The family has always struggled with poverty, getting by only thanks to a minimal allowance from the government. To make matters worse, Fan's 80-year-old mother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Now, the one-legged man must shoulder all the housework and still make money to support his family.

Fan's daily routine already necessitates a tight schedule, so random visits made by non-profit organizations, government workers, journalists and businesspeople who want to take advantage of his son's fame only add to his burden. The frequent visits have also generated rumors among the villagers, with some claiming that Fan is using his son as a tool to collect money. The rumors have greatly upset Fan, forcing him to constantly refute untruths.

Nevertheless, Fan is also grateful to many of the people who visit, especially when they bring everday essentials and donated funds. He says the only wish he has for his sons is that they have access to good education.