Actress Xu Fan has finally admitted in public that she has a daughter.

The rumor had spread for a long time that Xu and her husband, director Feng Xiaogang had adopted a daughter. However, the couple had remained silent on the topic until June 8, when Xu told reporters at a press conference to promote her charity M Plan: "I have been a mother for several years."

M Plan is a charity project Xu initiated to raise public awareness of children's mental health. The actress was inspired to form the charity by her role in the film Aftershock, a movie directed by her husband, that is due to be released in July. The film is set during the 1976 Tangshan earthquake and Xu plays a mother who has to decide which one of her two children to save.

Xu Fan promoting M Plan

"In the film, the mother's choice haunted the other child's whole life," she told China Daily. "The film made me think about the importance of children's psychological health."

A trip to Sichuan in 2009 to visit child survivors of the 2008 earthquake forced Xu to do more than think. She saw many children who had lost family members, and the look in their eyes haunted her.

"I wanted to help them desperately," she says. "But at that time I did not know how to do it."

After the trip Xu spoke to some psychologists and decided to form M Plan - the M stands for Mother.

The charity's first project includes a children's painting exhibition on the theme of love. Xu has collected some 1,000 pictures by children across the country, including those from Wenchuan and Yushu, two towns severely hit by earthquakes in 2008 and 2010. The pictures will be exhibited in Beijing, Chengdu and Tangshan and other cities this year.

"Painting has been a good psychological treatment for the children," says Shi Zhanbiao, a senior psychologist. "From the pictures we can see many children (from the earthquake-hit regions) are in recovery, although they still feel sad about losing their home. I would suggest adults smile more to the children, which encourages them a lot."

Another psychologist Bai Yanyi agrees that the art has been therapeutic for the children.

"Children are the future. Their mental health means a lot to us. I hope to see more such projects, which helps adults better understand the children's inner world," she said.

Xu also asked six actresses to shoot photos with their children for the fashion magazine Cosmopolitan to promote the project and raise public awareness of children's psychological health. She and her 4-year-old daughter also participated. It is the first time the protective mother has placed her daughter in the spotlight.

"I was hesitant, but I think I should be there with her, if I want to raise people's awareness," she said.

Xu declined to talk much about the child.

"She is very young now and needs protection. I believe most people, including the media, are kind enough to protect her, just like they would protect their own children," she said.