Huang Xiaoming (L) holds a panda cub at the giant panda breeding center in Ya'an in Sichuan Province on Saturday, February 28, 2009. [sohu.com]

Popular actor Huang Xiaoming visited the giant panda breeding center in Ya'an in Sichuan Province on Saturday to see the twin panda cubs he has sponsored on their first day of "panda kindergarten."

Eight-month old Ping Ping and An An were the oldest among the 13 giant panda cubs born after the deadly earthquake hit the province on May 12, 2008.

Huang donated one million yuan, or about 150,000 U.S. dollars, to adopt the two cubs and was named an ambassador to China's Panda Protection Research Center.

Because all the 13 cubs are old enough to be weaned, they now are spending a year away from their mothers in the center's panda kindergarten to help them develop a sense of independence and learn social skills.

Huang said he was excited to see his babies.

"I could carry them each in one of my arms when I was here last year, but now I can barely hold one with both arms," he said, according to the report in Huaxi Metropolis Daily. "They are so cute!"

The 31-year-old became a sensation in recent years after playing lead roles in several popular serials, including the remake of "Shanghai Bund," which turned Chow Yun-Fat into a star in 1980s. He is now filming the star-studded spy thriller "Feng Sheng," in which he plays a Japanese military officer. In the meantime, Huang said he would invite more of his friends to sponsor pandas at the center.