As it turns out, Ziyi’s noblewoman character apparently has some very modern tastes when it comes to footwear. Instead of opting for the correct (and time period appropriate) cloth shoes, Ziyi was filmed wearing a pair of sneakers instead.

After the gaffe went viral on Weibo, the production team behind Monarch Industry promptly apologised in a statement.

They revealed that the full-body shot of Ziyi that revealed her sneakers was actually supposed to be included in a behind-the-scenes clip instead of the actual episode. However, ‘cos of an oversight during post-production, the shot was mistakenly added to the drama instead.

The ensuing frenzy also unearthed a number of other period dramas that had unknowingly included some very modern items.

First up, was the 2019 drama, Queen Dugu, where Taiwanese actress Joe Chen was filmed wearing a pair of sliders under her costume.

Viewers thought Charmaine Sheh was wearing jeans in a scene in 2018's Story of Yanxi Palace but the production team later clarified that her pants weren't jeans but an actual part of the costume. 

Then, we have the 2018 drama, Ruyi’s Royal Love In The Palace, which had a box of tissues lounging about in the background.

In one of the posters for Ruyi, a vending machine and some street signs could be seen at the entrance of the Forbidden City.

Oops. 

Photos: World Journal, Zhang Ziyi/Weibo, Monarch Industry/Weibo