Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon
Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon is a 2008 Hong Kong action war drama film loosely based on parts of the 14th-century Chinese classical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It was directed by Daniel Lee with a reported budget of US$25 million. The film is a joint production between Hong Kong, China and South Korea.
Film poster
Zhao Yun, courtesy name Zilong (子龍), was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the northern warlord Gongsun Zan, Zhao Yun later came to serve another warlord, Liu Bei, and had since accompanied him on most of his military exploits, from the Battle of Changban (208) to the Hanzhong Campaign (217–219). He continued serving in the state of Shu Han – founded by Liu Bei in 221 – in the Three Kingdoms period and participated in the first of the Northern Expeditions until his death in 229. While many facts about Zhao Yun's life remain unclear due to limited information in historical sources, some aspects and activities in his life have been dramatised or exaggerated in folklore and fiction. In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he was lauded as a member of the Five Tiger Generals under Liu Bei.
A Qing dynasty illustration of Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun displays valour in front of Gongsun Zan, an illustration from a Qing dynasty edition of the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
A mural depicting Zhao Yun at the Battle of Changban inside the Long Corridor at the Summer Palace in Beijing. The rider in white is Zhao Yun.
Zhao Yun (center) surrounded by Cao Cao's generals in the Battle of Changban, from a 2015 Peking opera performance by Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company at Tianchan Theatre, Shanghai.