Cover Image Guidelines for Titles (China)

These rules explain China-specific requirements for selecting a main cover image for Mainland China titles.

All general cover rules (official-only, integrity, orientation, scope, rejection cases, placeholders) are defined in the Global Cover Image Guidelines and apply here by default.

Acceptable Official Sources

When identifying an official promotional poster or visual for a Mainland China title, acceptable sources include:

• Official Chinese streaming platform listings
  (e.g., Tencent Video, iQIYI, Youku, MangoTV)

• Official short-form drama platforms only when they are the original release platform
  (e.g., 红果短剧 / Novel Quick App, Douyin official title listings)

• Official Weibo accounts of:

  • The title itself

  • The streaming platform

  • The broadcaster

  • The production company

  • The distributor

• Douban main poster — fallback only
  Used only when the original platform or broadcaster poster cannot be reliably identified

Important clarification

Douban is not treated as an authoritative source by default.

It is accepted here only as a preservation reference when:

• The poster itself is clearly official, and

• The original source is no longer available

Archival Survival via Domestic Reference Sources

In the Mainland China ecosystem, official promotional materials are often:

• Removed from platform pages

• Deleted from official websites over time

Accepted preservation sources (when the poster itself is official):

• Douban

• Baidu Baike

• Archived official Weibo posts

These sources are accepted not because they are aggregators, but because they preserve official promotional materials that no longer exist elsewhere.

Platform Originals & China Platform Ecosystem

Platform-branded posters are acceptable only when the title is an official Mainland China platform original.

This commonly applies to originals from:

• Tencent Video

• iQIYI

• Youku

• MangoTV

• CCTV-affiliated platforms

China-specific clarification

Chinese platforms frequently generate:

• App thumbnails

• Algorithmic vertical crops

• UI-only promotional artwork

Platform appearance alone does not make a poster official. The image must exist as a real promotional poster released outside platform UI contexts.

Overseas Completion or Overseas-Only Release

Overseas Completion Without Domestic Replacement

For Chinese productions that:

• Began promotion or airing in Mainland China

• Were later cancelled domestically

• Completed airing only overseas

Approved usage

• The original Mainland China promotional poster remains the correct main cover

• Overseas posters do not replace China’s original release identity

Overseas Release without Mainland Broadcast

For Chinese productions that:

• Were developed or promoted as Mainland China titles

• Never officially aired in Mainland China

• Were released only overseas

Approved usage

• The original Chinese promotional poster remains the main cover image

• Overseas or foreign-market posters must not replace the original Chinese promotional identity

This applies regardless of:

• Overseas release success

• Platform branding used abroad

• Language of the foreign poster

Multi-Part, Split, Anthology, and Drama Special Titles

Mainland China frequently releases titles as:

• 上 / 下 parts

• Named segments

• Anthology stories

• Drama specials, extra episodes, or bonus stories (番外)

  that are listed as separate database entries

Rules

• Each separately listed part, season, segment, or special must use its own official promotional visual

• Posters must not be reused across different database entries

• If no official promotional visual exists for a specific entry, handling is done by the approval staff

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