Cropping of TV drama pictures sparks controversy in China

Screen shots after the show resumed broadcasting (below) and before it was taken off air (up). [Photo/Weibo]

A Chinese period drama about the country's first empress has sparked controversy following its cropping of scenes involving revealing costumes.

The drama, "The Empress of China" also known as the "Saga of Wu Zetian", is about the life of China's only known empress.

It was abruptly pulled from Chinese airwaves just days after its premiere on Dec. 21, and when it returned to screens on Jan. 1 only the actresses' heads were visible, and their embonpoint's cut out of shot.

The commercial satellite station Hunan TV said on its Sina Weibo account that it had pulled the drama because of "technical" reasons, while some Chinese media reported that Hunan TV had exceeded its 2014 quota for period dramas.

However, most fans speculated that the female's revealing costumes had irked television regulators, who are yet to respond.

Wu Zetian, China's only recorded empress was initially a concubine to Emperor Taizong in Tang Dynasty. When he died, Wu married his successor Emperor Gaozong and ruled the country in her own right after Gaozong suffered a stroke.

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This TV drama quickly became popular on the Internet and has made international headlines this week with scores of puns, support and criticism.

People joked that the fate of China's legendary empress was "changed" on the night of Jan.1, and the drama can be renamed as "Saga of Big Head Wu".

"I feel sad that the plot and aesthetic value have been affected," said Zhang Jie, a white-collar worker in Shanghai Municipality.