Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon theatrical poster (Photo : Wikimedia Commons)
Like the childhood collectors of "Star Wars" toys in Western societies, who later found themselves in an enviable position when the franchise was revived in the 21st century, the fans of China's traditional lianhuanhua picture books are experiencing a lucrative era with the revival of the fictional narrative.
In addition to scarcity, the original versions of the books are also valued for the art they contain and cost as high as 1 million yuan ($159,800) in the country's auction houses.
If you were born prior to the 1980s, it is likely that the lianhuanhua picture books are featured in your childhood memories. The stories of 15th-century author Luo Guanzhong have sold millions of copies throughout China since the inaugural publishing date of the picture books in 1957. Luo's work is now ranked among China's great cultural classics.
The lianhuanhua art form--the title literally means "linked pictures"--dates back to 1920s Shanghai, where palm-sized books were created with a painting on each page and several lines of text underneath them. The stories included China's traditional fables as well as modern literature, while the books were typically composed of no more than 100 pages.
Wang Jialong, a 74-year-old collector, told reporters that "there were lianhuanhua rent stalls in every corner of Beijing" when he was growing up in the capital during the 1950s.
The first edition of the lianhuanhua story, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," was recently reprinted as part of the 21st-century revival. Like the original, the narrative is divided into around 60 parts and many of the original paintings have been reprinted.
During the "cultural revolution," from 1966 to 1976, literature with feudal themes was destroyed, including the lianhuanhua of the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," and Wang is only able to refer to his original copies now because he successfully hid them.
The second wave of Luo's work extends beyond the page, as a joint China-Korea production of "God of War Zhao Yun," based on the "Three Kingdoms" story, is currently being filmed, while a giant robot of the "Three Kingdoms"' Gundam, at least 10 meters (32 feet) high and 10 tons in weight, is being built by three fans in time for Chinese New Year.
