The cartoon adaptation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of China's great historical novels, jointly produced by Beijing Glorious Animation, CCTV Animation and Future Plant is now being shown on CCTV-8 and will be broadcast over some 200 TV stations, including CCTV-4, CCTV-Children, and CCTV-High definition, throughout China by the end of this year.

The 26-episode series, that cost more than 40 million yuan and took 25 months to produce, is the first of a hero trilogy, that will also include Qin-Han Heroes and The Outlaws of the Marsh. The story is based on the masterpiece of the same name by Ming-Dynasty author Luo Guanzhong, on the complex and tense political struggles that marked the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280).

The cartoon and the toys based on it attracted great interest at the Eighth Tokyo Anime Festival in March. NHK will broadcast the series in October and it is reported that more than 40 TV stations from 20 countries and regions have also expressed an interest in the rights to it.

(China Daily August 6, 2009)