The five-part documentary traces how legendary Chinese general Guan Yu transcended history to become a universal symbol of loyalty, righteousness, and integrity revered across the globe.
TAIYUAN, China, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Shanxi Radio and Television Station, in collaboration with the Information Office of the People’s Government of Shanxi Province and the People’s Government of Yuncheng City, recently released a five-part documentary titled Tales of Guan Yu. The film explores how the late Han Dynasty general Guan Yu evolved from a historical warrior into a spiritual icon worshipped across continents, and the traditional Chinese values embedded in his enduring legacy.
 
Documentary Tales of Guan Yu
Tales of Guan Yu tells the story from multiple perspectives — spanning historical scholarship, cultural heritage, and contemporary practice — and features interviews with leading academics including Fang Chaohui，Professor, Department of History, Institute of Humanities, Tsinghua University; Yang Haizheng, Professor of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University; and Valeriya Andrievskaya, Lecturer at Beijing Language and Culture University, among other prominent scholars and cultural figures.
The key narrative challenge the filmmakers tackle is how to make an 1,800-year-old legacy resonate with modern, global audiences. Employing a "triple-timeline" structure that interweaves archival research, cinematic animation, and present-day stories of cultural practitioners, the series delivers a visually striking aesthetic through advanced techniques including drone cinematography, FPV racing drones, and specialized Laowa lenses.
The film documents remarkable stories of cultural transmission worldwide — from a German sinologist’s decades-long research into Guan Yu’s deification to a Shanxi opera artist’s 2,000-plus performances across over 500 Guan Yu temples globally, and a face-painting workshop on the banks of the Seine in Paris. The production team filmed across 21 Chinese provinces and 12 countries including Australia, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.
Since its domestic premiere in December 2025, the documentary has garnered over 800 million views and topic views on Chinese platforms and nearly 50 million views on overseas social media including Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, ranking first on the Blue Eagle Convergence Index for both TV documentaries and prime-time programming.
Tales of Guan Yu has been broadcast on CGTN, Phoenix Chinese, Americas, and Europe channels, as well as Channel 33 in New Zealand, reaching more than 170 countries and regions.
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