Sir Ian McKellen Spotted at Shanghai's Marriage Market

Sir Ian McKellen is in China this week, and we've got the pictures to prove it.

Yesterday, the legendary Academy Award-nominated British actor of Lord of the Rings fame was spotted at the People's Square Marriage Market, AKA the spot that was at the center of that powerful SK-II Leftover Women ad from earlier this year. 

In one photo circulating on social media, Gandalf McKellen was shown holding a sign showing off his credentials (Cambridge University, people!)

Another image showed him holding a sign with a classic Shakespeare quote ("Love Looks Not With the Eyes, But With the Mind"). Beauty that's only skin-deep SHALL NOT PASS.

And here he is at the Bund, with this classic quote from The Tempest:

Sir Ian was also spotted in Beijing last week. He was snapped getting his tourist on at the Summer Palace, Great Wall and Forbidden City, sporting signs with Shakespeare quotes at each spot.

Photos circulating on WeChat also reportedly showed the actor at Destination, one of the capital's most popular gay clubs. 

McKellen is in town for the Shanghai International Film Festival, as part of the British Film Institute (BFI)'s co-curated Shakespeare on Film showcase. (He'll be giving a talk later today about his role in 1995’s Richard III).

Last night, he made his stage and TV debut in China at the festival's opening ceremony to perform Seven Ages of Man with Jiao Huang.

McKellen, who has performed in a number of Shakespeare plays, will attend some activities and exhibitions at the festival to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the playwright's death. 

[Images via Sohu, Weibo, @ianmckellen, @BFI, @sanverde]