Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Upper and Lower)

Author: Luo Guanzhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: To comprehensively improve the Chinese literacy of primary and secondary school students, enhance the modern awareness of Chinese teaching courses, and vigorously promote new learning methods, the Ministry of Education issued the "Full-time Compulsory Education Chinese Curriculum Standards" and the "General High School Chinese Curriculum Standards" as core content of the basic education curriculum reform in 2001 and 2003, respectively. The "Chinese Curriculum Standards" serve as the basis for teaching, assessment, and exam question-setting, as well as the foundation for national curriculum management and evaluation, reflecting the fundamental requirements of the state for students at different stages in terms of knowledge, skills, processes, and methods. Compared to the original "Chinese Teaching Syllabus" for primary and secondary schools, the "Chinese Curriculum Standards" have made significant revisions to the specific works of extracurricular reading in the original syllabus and have specified the total amount of reading required for students at different stages, urging primary and secondary school students to read widely. To this end, we have compiled and published this series of "New Curriculum Standards Chinese Must-Read Books," with all titles designated by the new standards. To assist students in reading, we have included an introductory essay before each classic, providing an in-depth yet accessible introduction to the relevant information. Romance of the Three Kingdoms is filled with captivating stories, and in the character portraits it depicts, in addition to the three central figures mentioned above, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, Lu Su, and others are all vividly portrayed. The novel excels in war descriptions, such as the Battle of Red Cliffs, which details the preparations and strategic planning before the battle, the course of the war, and the aftermath, spanning eight chapters. The scenes are both tense and leisurely, with a mix of detailed and concise narratives, abstract and concrete descriptions, and a dynamic, flowing rhythm—uncommon in classical novels. Romance of the Three Kingdoms has not only had a profound influence in the past and is widely known both domestically and internationally but will continue to exert greater influence in the present and future. The relationship between Romance of the Three Kingdoms and business management, as well as its connection to talent studies, has recently drawn the attention of many people, and several specialized books on these topics have been published. Countries like Japan have sought the secrets to success in business from works such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, sparking a renewed interest in the wisdom of classical Chinese literature.