The media pointed out Zhang Ziyi's role involving nudity and alluded prostitution, and also a scene in which she bathes with a Japanese man as the reason for the ban, and the fact that it was totally unacceptable in China for a Chinese woman to play a Japanese geisha.
The media emphasized Zhang Ziyi's role featuring explicit content and alluded to prostitution, along with a scene where she shares a bath with a Japanese man, resulting in the ban due to cultural concerns about Chinese women playing Japanese characters.