Pop star Michael Jackson might have been a no-show in Shanghai despite reports last month of his imminent arrival, but star-gazing has picked up in recent days because of the city's annual film festival.
Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee, Hollywood star Nicole Kidman, Hong Kong's own Jackie Chan, veteran actress Sigourney Weaver and actor Liam Neeson came to Shanghai, among others.
The buzz surrounding their appearances was enough to make people ask if the Shanghai International Film Festival was finally coming of age after more than a decade. Actress Meryl Streep and director Oliver Stone once appeared, but it's usually a B-list affair.
The advantage of the festival, according to viewers, is its partial relaxation of both the mainland's strict censorship rules and limits on the number of foreign movies - as well as the screening of art films hard to find on pirated DVD.
The arrival of the stars also creates a chance to see a new breed of mainland journalist in action - the entertainment reporter. A push towards commercialisation coupled with limits on reporting sensitive topics, like politics, has caused entertainment reporting to boom.
Packing digital cameras instead of pens and notebooks, these journalists tend to gush over their cinema idols and ask fawning questions. But Shanghai's luxury hotel operators say the mainland paparazzi haven't quite reached the point of stake-outs and high-speed car chases. Instead, they say, it's usually the fans who stake out the hotels.