Cigarettes Were Edited Out Of Smoking Scenes In iQiyi Drama The Pavilion And It Looks So Weird

We all know how China deals with people, practices, and anything else that they deem problematic these days — they literally cancel them by either wiping them from the internet or banning future occurrences altogether.

And now, we also know what happens when they decide to get rid of a tiny detail in a show that has already been filmed, presumably ‘cos it promotes unhealthy habits.

Spoiler alert: It looks really strange. Just like Chinese actor Wu Lei’s blurred-out nipples.

Recently, viewers of iQiyi suspense drama The Pavilion noticed that parts that show Chinese actor Duan Yihong’s police officer character puffing on a cigarette are missing something.

While the movements of Yihong’s hands and lips clearly suggest that he is smoking (you can even see the smoke rise up every now and then), the cigarette itself appears to have been edited out, making it look like he’s taking a drag out of nothing but thin air like a mime.

Needless to say, what was originally supposed to be a very serious scene of a contemplative Yihong mulling over the details of a case ended up looking ridiculous instead.

Also getting the phantom cigarette treatment was his co-star, Chinese actress Hao Lei, who is seen standing next to an ashtray and holding out two fingers — you know, exactly like how one would hold a cig — except there’s nothing there.

Netizens were dumbfounded by this over-the-top display of censorship and left comments such as: “It looks like you’re no longer allowed to show smoking”, “This is way too outrageous”, “Did the broadcasters travel here from the Qing Dynasty?”, and “This is becoming more and more like North Korea”.

Photos: Sina, 嗑剧迷妹/Weibo