The Three Kingdoms period was one of unparalleled bloodshed and turmoil in Chinese history, as the three states in question, the Wei (魏), Shu (蜀) and Wu (吴), waged decades-long war for control of China.

Strictly speaking, the period started from 220 A.D. with the establishment of the first Wei Kingdom, and ended in 280 A. D. with the conquest of the last Wu Kingdom. However, some historians include the previous 36-year period, during which the three states rose to power amid the collapse of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220A.D.).

Unsurprisingly, the Three Kingdom period has left a lasting mark on Chinese language and culture, including a number of four-character idioms based on famous stories from the conflict.

For instance, 三顾茅庐 (sāngù-máolú, three visits to the cottage) relates to the story of Liu Bei (刘备), the leader of the Shu Kingdom, who visits Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮) three times in a bid to recruit him as a strategist. Thus the idiom came to mean that you should call on someone repeatedly to show sincerity. Another saying is: “说曹操到，曹操就到（Shuō cáocāo dào, cáocāo jiù dào, speaking of Cao Cao [the Wei leader], he is already here）,” which is basically equivalent to saying “speak of the devil.”

The Three Kingdoms period is probably the most read about historical period in China and East Asia, as the historical events manifested in classic literature as well as popular culture. Many people are introduced to this history by one of the four great classics, “Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义),” a fictional work written by Luo Guanzhong (罗贯中) in the Ming Dynasty (1368 A.D.-1644 A.D.), more than a thousand years after the events it relates to.

In the novel, Luo is generally acknowledged to have adopted a pro-Shu (蜀) stance, and consequently depicted the other two states in a negative light.

Those who are more interested in the actual historical events can refer to “The Record of the Three Kingdoms (三国志),” which was written by Chen Shou (陈寿) right after the fall of the Wu Kingdom.