This photo shows Chinese mainland actress Chen Hao, who plays Diaochan in Gao Xixi's ancient Chinese epic "Three Kingdoms", showing off her dancing abilities on location in Zhuozhou city, in north China's Hebei province. [New Express]

Chinese mainland actress Chen Hao who plays "Diao Chan", an ancient beauty from the "Three Kingdoms" period was highly praised by director Gao Xixi, for her excellent performance in the new version of the epic drama which began shooting last month, the Guangzhou based New Express Daily reported.

The ancient Chinese epic "Three Kingdoms", a new TV series, began shooting in Zhuozhou city, in north China's Hebei province on September 29th.

Reportedly, Chen Hao accepted the role of Diaochan without reading the script beforehand.

Chen Hao dancing scenes play an important part in the series and the actress was required to practice hard to perfect the Han dynasty dance since the protagonist Diaochan was well known for her beautiful dancing style.

After painstaking rehearsals, Chen received warm applause for her smooth tempo, deft steps and graceful movements when shooting began.

As one of the Four Beauties of ancient China, Diao Chan appears in the classic novel 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'. The plot involves the warrior Lu Bu and his adopted father, the warlord Dong Zhuo, who fought each other over the beauty. According to the novel, Diao Chan manipulated the two men who were driven mad by her charms and dancing abilities. She joined with an official named Wang Yun in a plot to persuade the warrior Lu Bu to kill his adopted father.

In the play, Diaochan was not only a sexy and lovely woman but also a woman with guts and wisdom who sacrificed herself for her nation.

Director Gaoxixi, who was quite pleased with Chen Hao's acting, praised her portrayal of Diao Chan and believes she has brought a vibrant and fresh image to the screen.

Chen Hao gained public attention for her TV series "pink ladies", which was adapted from Taiwan cartoonist Zhu Deyong's original comic strips.