Playing cards inspired by the story of the Three Kingdoms in Ancient China. Created by Patrick Zhu, Standard Asia experimental edition, printed by Kingstar

Bottom is not numbered.

The exclusive artworks of this deck of playing cards pay tribute to the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. One of the “Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature” and a household name in China until today, the story is set in the turbulent years from 169 to 280 AD, during which the country split into three power blocs: the states of Wei, Shu, and Wu (the Three Kingdoms period, 220~280 AD). The novel not only depicts the incessant battling of the three states over dominance but also romanticizes the personal lives of historical figures, introducing close to a thousand heroic characters, 13 of which are featured in this deck. Historical as well as mythical, the legendary Romance has inspired countless artistic renditions including the one we now present.