Aren't you glad it wasn't you?

Because you know you wouldn't have known any better either!

One of Europe's most prestigious scientific research institutes has had to issue an apology after discovering that the calligraphy used on the cover of its flagship publication to illustrate a special China edition was in fact an ad for a Hong Kong strip joint.

The institute hastily replaced the cover...from the online and English edition of the publication, Max Planck Research, but not before the German language version of the periodical had been dispatched to subscribers.

What's even better is they actually did check to see what it said before going to print and missed it.

The calligraphy, which was vetted by a sinologist before publication, was believed to have "depicted classical Chinese characters in a non-controversial context".

Instead, the text was identified by many Chinese internet users as similar to wall posters found in the red light district of Mongkok in Hong Kong which spruik strip clubs and brothels.

I don't know much anything about the Chinese language, but I'm guessing someone will be brushing up on their skills with the language.