Three Kingdoms is a 2010 Chinese television series based on the events in the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. The plot is adapted from the 14th century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms and other stories about the Three Kingdoms period. Directed by Gao Xixi, the series had a budget of over 160 million RMB (US$30 million) and took five years of pre-production work. Shooting of the series commenced in October 2008, and it was released in China in May 2010.Three Kingdoms set a record as the most expensive small screen series in China's television history at the time, having been sold to four regional TV broadcasters at the price of 160 million yuan. The series was a commercial success in China and dominated ratings, but has caused controversy among critics and fans, with many commenting that the TV series has veered too far from the classic novel and real history. The series was criticised for prioritizing commercial entertainment over research and understanding of the novel and history and creating plot-holes in its re-interpretation. While some publications have praised the willingness to rewrite the events of the novel, other publications criticize the writing and editing for being sluggish, long-winded and superfluous, and using clichés from "Gongdou"-dramas and romantic dramas to be eye-catching while losing the solemnity and dignity of the original novel. It has also been sold to over 20 countries, earning an estimated 800 million RMB (US$133.3 million) in total as of May 2012.