The Oath of the Peach Garden is one of the most famous brotherhood stories in Chinese culture.But historically, it never happened.Official records from the Three Kingdoms period show no evidence that Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei ever swore a blood oath. So why did this story become one of the most powerful moral symbols in Chinese history?The answer lies not in emperors or elites—but in the lives of urban commoners.Early folk versions of the story emerged in cities where traditional clan structures had collapsed. Migrants, small merchants, and laborers survived through sworn brotherhoods and “found families.” These early tales often portrayed the three heroes not as nobles, but as struggling traders—men dreaming of rising from nothing.Some versions were brutal, featuring grotesque sacrifices to prove loyalty. Others were surprisingly humorous, focusing on arguments over seniority and status. These were not heroic myths—they were survival contracts.Over centuries, storytellers, opera performers, and writers refined these raw street legends.Finally, Romance of the Three Kingdoms transformed a practical alliance into a sacred mission—loyalty, righteousness, and devotion to the state.This video explores how a grassroots survival pact evolved into a moral epic—and why its values still shape Chinese culture today.

https://youtu.be/jrQDETTNpME