The novel is based primarily on the Records of the Three Kingdoms ( 三國志), written by Chen Shou. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ending with the reunification of the land in 280 by Western Jin. Romance of the Three Kingdoms ( traditional Chinese: 三國演義 simplified Chinese: 三国演义 pinyin: Sānguó Yǎnyì) is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. Romance of the Three Kingdoms in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
