Chrysanthemum script

菊花文 (júhuā wén): chrysanthemum script

In the upper pane are the words, “Sensitive words can avoid being harmonized. Freedom of speech is a must!” These words are converted into chrysanthemum script in the lower pane. (anliu/an-liu.cn)

Chrysanthemum script converted text: “Sensitive words can avoid being harmonized.” (Screenshot from iPlaysoft

Chrysanthemum script covering non-sensitive posts on Weibo.

Coded writing using the Combining Cyrillic Millions character ( ҉ ; Unicode: U+0489). Typically used in bi-directional text, where both left-to-right and right-to-left scripts are used simultaneously, Chinese netizens have employed ҉ to obscure sensitive online discussion.

When Combining Cyrillic Millions ( ҉ ) is inserted between each character in a word or phrase, the ҉ overlays each character, making it difficult to automate censorship. Online converters allow Internet users to create chrysanthemum script automatically.

҉ used to be blocked on Weibo, but is now searchable. It appears that using chrysanthemum script either have fallen out of fashion, or is no longer a viable technique to skirt censorship.

See also Martian script.

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