Yu Hewei
Liu Bei
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- Chinese TV series based on the end of the Han dynasty and the rise of the Three Kingdoms period.
Learn about the Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu, which dominated China after the fall of the Han dynasty. Explore the political, military, cultural, and technological aspects of this turbulent and influential era in Chinese history.
Aug 23, 2024 · The Three Kingdoms were a trio of warring Chinese states—Wei, Shu-Han, and Wu—that emerged following the demise of the Han dynasty. Their short and bloody era of warfare and political intrigue, from 220 to 280 BCE, has been a favorite subject of historical fiction and other art forms.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Overview
- Characters
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- Influence and legacy
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, novel traditionally attributed to the 14th-century Chinese writer Luo Guanzhong. Spanning more than a century of Chinese history that includes the era of the Three Kingdoms, this epic saga of the last days of the Han dynasty is a compilation of history and legend based on ancient storytelling traditions. With its grip...
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is an epic retelling of historical events in China from 184 to 280 ce. Its most prominent characters are Chinese leaders and rulers drawn from real life. Daoist faith healer Zhang Jue is a key character at the beginning of the novel, when he is leading the Yellow Turban Rebellion against the Han emperor. The uprising marks the start of the fall of the Han dynasty, one of the most significant of China’s imperial dynasties. The tyrannical Dong Zhuo kills the young Han emperor and puts the emperor’s brother on the throne, turning him into Dong’s puppet. The novel includes the warriors and leaders who help found the Three Kingdoms that emerged in China after the Han fell. The ambitious and ruthless general Cao Cao, depicted as a thoroughgoing villain, rules the north. Liu Bei, who is descended from Han emperors but grew up in poverty, is portrayed as virtuous. He becomes emperor of the Shu-Han dynasty and attempts to keep the Han alive after Cao Cao’s son Cao Pi is ceded the throne and founds the brief Wei dynasty. Sun Quan controls the south and eventually becomes the first emperor of the Wu dynasty. He is portrayed in Romance of the Three Kingdoms as being marginalized or in shaky alliances with Cao Cao or Liu Bei.
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Beyond these rulers, Romance of the Three Kingdoms is filled with other historical figures. Among them are Liu Bei’s oath brothers, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, who play important roles; Guan Yu became deified as the god of war Guandi after his death, and his popularity as that figure is reflected in this novel. Lady Sun, who is the sister of Sun Quan, becomes Liu Bei’s wife. Schemers are integral to the story; they are involved in the toppling of armies and governments. For example, the politician Wang Yun sets Dong Zhuo and his adopted son Lü Bu against each other by making them fall in love with the same woman. One of the more famous and iconic characters of Romance of the Three Kingdoms is Zhuge Liang, who serves as the civil and military adviser to Liu Bei. Granted magical powers in the novel, he is a military genius who is always multiple steps ahead of the enemy.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms begins with the outbreak of the uprising led by Zhang Jue against the Han emperor Ling in 184 ce. This rebellion creates significant instability in China, as regional warlords are tasked with putting it down, which means that power held by the Han becomes decentralized and new rulers, such as Cao Cao and Liu Bei, emerg...
Romance of the Three Kingdoms remains one of the most popular books in East Asia, valued for its traditional wisdom, fantastic fairy tales, historical detail, and insights into war strategy. As a popular Korean proverb says, “One can discuss life after reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms.”
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The novel has been translated into many languages, and its influence has been wide-reaching. It has inspired many forms of literature as well as opera, movies, and television series. Because of the vast sweep of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, works based on it tend to focus only on certain aspects of its narrative or its characters. Romance of the Three Kingdoms was also adapted in 1985 as a video game series by Japanese game developer Koei Co., Ltd.
Three Kingdoms: With Hewei Yu, Yi Lu, Kai Kang, Jianbin Chen. Long story of the rivalry, intrigues and wars of the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. Based on the classical Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms and other related sources.
- (1.4K)
- 2010-05-02
- Drama, History, War
- 45
A 14th-century historical novel based on the Records of the Three Kingdoms, covering the turbulent period of Chinese history from 184 to 280 AD. The novel is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature and has influenced many adaptations and interpretations.
- Luo Guanzhong
- 1925
Feb 1, 2024 · The Three Kingdoms from 220 to 280 CE was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the Western Jin dynasty.
Jan 12, 2018 · The Early Three Kingdoms Period in ancient China, from 184 CE to 190 CE for the purposes of this article, was one of the most turbulent in China's history. With an ailing Han government unable to control its empire , brutal localised wars, rebellions and uprisings were rife.
