Patriotism vs urge to binge watch TV series

Hanoi – A Vietnamese website, which works when users answer a quiz about disputed islands in the South China Sea, has infuriated TV fans in China desperate to catch the latest episode of a popular Chinese period drama.

The Story of Yanxi Palace has attracted a huge following in China for its colourful depiction of Qing Dynasty-era politics.

The first 56 episodes are aired for free on Chinese video streaming platform iQiyi, which holds exclusive rights to the drama.

But bomtan.org, a Vietnamese website, somehow obtained extra never-seen-before episodes. It asks users to answer questions confirming their Vietnamese identity before it loads.