3 Kingdoms By Yi Zhong Tian

I've been hooked to this "Lecture Show" programme by Yi Zhong Tian on the 3 Kingdoms recently, known as 《易中天品三国》.

This show really reignited my interests in the 3 Kingdoms (3K), and I highly recommend it to any 3K fans. This is not a show that tells the 3K story, but one that analyze it in great detail and makes you look at it at a much deeper level. Therefore, you ought to be reasonable familiar with the story and its characters before you'll actually appreciate (or even understand) the show. It assumes you already know most of it.

At first, I thought of this as an "old people show" when I saw the ads on TV. I mean, some old professor giving a talk on history? Booooring~

However, that immediately changed when I happened to come across one episode on TV. Just 5 minutes and I was hooked.

The first episode I saw was "三顾茅庐" (3 Visits To Hut), which describes how Liu Bei visits Zhuge Liang 3 times to "employ" him. The way the professor analyze the whole event really opens up your mind, and makes you understand the rationale behind this story. He presents it in a very simple, "layman" manner. When he makes reference to the ancient writings, he'll break it down as to what it means in "modern language".

Historians have many different view points on what exactly happened.

For example, Zhuge Liang obviously wanted to join Liu Bei, but how can he be so sure that Liu Bei will visit him 3 times? What if he doesn't? Would Zhuge Liang be content to spend the rest of his life living in seclusion? Why did he choose Liu Bei instead of other more powerful rulers at that time? In reality, did Zhuge Liang presents himself to Liu Bei or did Liu Bei really went to invite him thrice?

He first lists the historical records. When the records seems to contradict each other, he analyze it from a logical view point. After that, he will try to make some hypothesis as to what exactly happened. It's like digging up some old puzzle from a thousand years ago and trying to piece it back 1 by 1 - like watching a dramatic story unfold.

After that episode, I knew I had to watch the whole series.

Many people does not know the difference between 2 of the following:

三国志 (Records of 3 Kingdoms): This is the historic record book. It is written like 5 years after the 3 Kingdoms period by a historian, and is deem to be reliable as an ACTUAL ACCOUNT of what actually happened in history.

三国演义 (Romance of 3 Kingdoms): This is just a NOVEL based on history, written by some talented novelist about 1000 years after 3K period. The characters and battles are generally from history, mixed with the author imagination. Some people said that this novel is 70% reality and 30% imagination. Most of what you see from drama series, in comics, in games are from this. All 3K works are mostly derived from this because it is much more interesting and "epic".

In Romance of 3 Kingdoms, Liu Bei's Shu is like the "main protagonist". Zhuge Liang is like the "main hero". Thus, their character, their traits and their abilities are greatly amplified and glorified. In the case of Zhuge Liang, the author even try to make him out to be a "near-godlike" character. On the other hand, the story puts down "evil guys" like Cao Cao and Wei. Thus, many of the actual events are actually "shrinked/expanded" based on storyline requirements.

The show decipher the real 3K in great detail - which events are dubious and untrue, the reasons behind the success and failures of every major battle, the thoughts and relations between the characters, etc...

For example, the "Empty City Ruse" (空城计). This whole event never happened in history. It is made up in 三国演义 to further "god-ify" Zhuge Liang, but many still believe in it. This show takes apart this event and tells you why it is illogical, ridiculous and just not possible in reality. After that, the professor doesn't just disregard this whole story as bullcrap. The professor explains why the author of Romance 3K wrote this part, and what you can learn from it. Very intriguing.

I had an almost entirely different perception of 3K from watching the show. For example, do you really think Zhuge Liang is the smartest in the whole of 3 kingdoms? Is he really such a great "military strategist"? This show gives some other "alternatives".

Is the Zhou Yu's really narrow-minded, inferior and eventually driven to death by Zhuge Liang?

Is Cao Cao a villain or a hero? How did he rise from nothing to a great ruler of the north? What is it about him that makes so many talented people join him? What is the reason behind some seemingly ridiculous things he did?

And many many of the famous events in 3 Kingdoms, from its formation up till the very end.

At the same time, it also try to teach the audience some "lessons" from the rulers' mistakes or success - like the political system of that period, how different rulers made their subordinates so loyal to them, how rulers treat the emperor, how Zhuge Liang manage to forge an alliance that is seemingly impossible, etc...

Bottom line - I think it's a freaking good documentary series.