But the famous Hong Kong-born kung fu movie star was happy that those "more people" at the airport were not against him. No one protested Jackie's arrival in Taipei at noon.

The last time he was in Taipei, quite a number of Democratic Progressive Party supporters shouted abuse at him, for making a wisecrack about Bulletgate.

President Chen Shui-bian was shot in Tainan on March 19, 2004. It was rumored to be an assassination attempt orchestrated by Beijing. He was reelected the following day, thanks to sympathy votes.

Nearly a year later, police published an investigation report naming as gunman an unemployed martial arts coach, who bought a handmade pistol from an underground gunsmith, fired two shots, disappeared into the crowd, and committed suicide by drowning himself in a Tainan canal out of remorse ten days after the mystery-shrouded shooting.

No smoking gun was found. The suspected gunman left a suicide note, which wasn't found. Police said his wife heard him hinting at suicide. She apologized to the public for what her husband did. Later, however, she said she committed perjury under duress.

The episode was reported by the New York Times as a story once told in a dime store novel. Kuomintang supporters call it 'Bulletgate.' Jackie called it "the greatest joke ever told."

That remark made Jackie the DPP supporters' most hated figure. They professed to teach him a lesson when he came to Taipei again.

So Jackie stayed away from Taiwan for four years. He came after President Ma Ying-jeou was sworn in on May 20 last year. When he arrived on June 17, DPP supporters greeted him without much hostility. They shouted abuse but didn't throw rotten eggs as had been promised.

This time, Jackie would stay for just 24 hours.

Now Jackie's in town to promote his new film, "Shinjuku Incident," a production in cooperation with the Japanese starring Chan as a Chinese migrant worker in Japan getting into trouble with the yakuza.

While here, Jackie will be interviewed by TV networks. Seven of them will be granted an interview of 10 minutes each. His sponsors in Taipei said he couldn't give pro-DPP channels an interview, citing lack of time.