BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The opening of Light Chaser Animation's Three Kingdoms: The Beginning in cinemas on Friday marked a further push by domestic studios, long dominated by live-action productions, into historical epics.
The epic feature film re-imagines one of the most storied eras in Chinese history. The Three Kingdoms period (220-280) holds a preeminent place in Chinese cultural memory, with broad cultural and literary narratives about the era often beginning in the final decades of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), when warfare, political intrigue and personal ambition reshaped the country.
The turbulence gave rise to numerous legendary figures whose stories remain widely known across China and other parts of East Asia. Their power plays and rivalries have inspired generations of historical accounts, novels, operas, games, films and television productions.
The film centers on the early careers of two men whose eventual clash would have deep historical ramifications: Cao Cao, a fiery junior official from a less prestigious family, and Yuan Shao, a scion of one of the most powerful aristocratic clans of the age.
Song Yiyi, the feature's producer, said that the characters in the film were not born legends and that their triumphs and failures came from personal courage, resolve and ambition. What the film seeks to portray is how these historical figures experienced uncertainty, made decisive choices at critical moments and gradually grew into the heroes remembered today, Song added.
The late Eastern Han Dynasty was plagued by strife between eunuchs and imperial in-laws, and the lack of competent emperors led to an erosion of the court's credibility. Following intense court conflicts, a massive peasant uprising and warlord confrontations, the dynasty's grip on the country effectively collapsed.
"Historical and cultural subjects are by no means easy to bring to the screen," said director Xie Junwei. While audiences are familiar with the major figures and events of the Three Kingdoms, gaps in the historical record leave room for carefully considered artistic interpretation. The appeal of the project lay in the tension between the familiar and the unknown, Xie said.
To capture the texture of daily life in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the production team conducted field research at several historical and archaeological sites, including the ruins of the imperial palace of the Eastern Han Dynasty in Luoyang, in central China's Henan Province.
In the film, Cao Cao's armor and accessory were modeled on artifacts unearthed from his tomb. The dance sequences drew inspiration from carved stone reliefs in the collection of the Henan Museum.
Stories set in the Three Kingdoms have also attracted considerable attention from international audiences. Social media users from countries including the United States, Kuwait and Japan have expressed keen anticipation of the film's release.
Yu Zhou, president of Light Chaser Animation, said that the global distribution of "Three Kingdoms: The Beginning" is progressing steadily and that the film will be released to overseas audiences as soon as possible.
"China's rich historical and cultural heritage provides an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Chinese animated films," Yu said.
He said Light Chaser has continued to explore new possibilities for Chinese animation.
Over the past decade, Light Chaser's productions have been released in cinemas and on streaming platforms in dozens of countries and regions, reaching more than 50 million viewers, according to the studio.
"Through animation, we hope to bring a wider range of Chinese stories, told in more diverse forms, to audiences around the world," he told Xinhua. ■
