BEGINNING OF THE GREAT REVIVAL details the historic events surrounding the Chinese Revolution, the period from 1911 to 1921 when Sun Yat-sen overthrew the Qing Dynasty and planted the roots of what has become modern-day China's Communist government. The story charts the beginnings of the country's most influential first-generation leaders, including ambitious warlord Yuan Shikai (Chow Yun-Fat, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), who undertakes an attempt to revive the Chinese monarchy, Tsai Ao (Andy Lau, Infernal Affairs), the pro-Republic governor of Yunnan, Mao Zedong (Liu Ye, Curse of the Golden Flower) and others.