Traditional Chinese legend, retold in simple Mandarin
Three Kingdoms: The Peach Garden Oath
桃园结义
Three Kingdoms: The Peach Garden Oath (桃园结义, Táoyuán jiéyì) is a story from Three Kingdoms, the Chinese classic by Luo Guanzhong, retold in simple Mandarin as a 4-chapter story with audio for learners at about HSK 1 (Beginner).
Retold from Luo Guanzhong's classic novel: a poor sandal seller, a red-faced traveler and a booming butcher swear brotherhood under the peach blossoms and win their first small victory.
Meet the voices
- Narrator · 旁白 — A warm storyteller who sets the scene.
- Liu Bei · 刘备 — A poor, gentle sandal seller with a big heart who wants to help everyone.
- Guan Yu · 关羽 — A red-faced, long-bearded traveler who is calm, dry and loyal.
- Zhang Fei · 张飞 — A loud, funny butcher with a wild beard and the biggest voice in town.
- Villager · 村民 — A townsperson who reads the notice and later joins the brothers.
- Innkeeper · 老板 — The owner of the small inn, easily offended by Zhang Fei.
- Blacksmith · 铁匠 — A hearty smith who offers to make weapons.
- Rider · 骑兵 — A breathless messenger on horseback.
- Rebel · 黄巾兵 — A Yellow Turban soldier who panics.
- Old Man · 老人 — A villager who tells of the Sleeping Dragon.
4 chapters, one journey
Chapter 1: The Notice
墙上的告示
A poor sandal seller sighs at a notice calling for soldiers, and a booming butcher will not let it go. Then they hear a red-faced stranger at an inn.
Free to read
Chapter 2: The Red-Faced Man
红脸的人
Over meat and wine, a loud butcher, a gentle sandal seller and a very red man with a very long beard discover they want the same thing. Then someone dares to say the word brothers.
SayMei Stories
Chapter 3: Under the Peach Trees
桃花树下
Under falling peach blossoms, three strangers make a promise that will last a lifetime. But the rebels are already at the gates, and no one has a sword.
SayMei Stories
Chapter 4: The First Victory
张飞的大声音
Outnumbered and without swords, the new brothers need a clever trick, and Zhang Fei's big voice may be the answer. But one victory is not enough.
SayMei Stories
Key words in Three Kingdoms: The Peach Garden Oath
Behind the story
The Peach Garden Oath opens Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义), one of the Four Great Classical Novels of China. It was written in the 1300s by Luo Guanzhong (罗贯中) and tells of the last years of the Han dynasty, when rebellions and warlords tore the country apart.
The idea of 桃园结义 has become a phrase in everyday Chinese for friends who become like family. Liu Bei (刘备), Guan Yu (关羽) and Zhang Fei (张飞) are among the most loved heroes in Chinese storytelling, opera, comics and video games.
Did you know?
- The Yellow Turban rebels (黄巾) were real: they rose up in the year 184 and wore yellow cloths on their heads.
- Guan Yu is honored in many temples across Asia as a symbol of loyalty, and he is often painted with a red face and a very long beard.
- Zhang Fei is famous in the novel for his enormous voice, which is said to frighten whole armies.