TV play depicts legendary ruler Genghis Khan

China Central Television (CCTV) is expected to entertain its nationwide viewers with a 28-episode TV series about the great Mongol Emperor Genghis Khan starting from Aug. 28.

The play entitled "Genghis Khan", shot by Shiqi Group based in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2001 at the cost of 80 million yuan (about 9.6 million US dollars), will be shown on CCTV's channel one at prime time, said a company source.

The play stars prestigious Inner Mongolian actor Ba Sen and actress Saren Gaowa and gives a vivid description of Genghis Khan's life, from the time of his birth to his unification of Mongol tribes and further on to his death during a westward expedition in 1227.

"It's a complete and objective account of the legendary ruler," said Prof. Zhu Yaoting, a playwright and noted scholar on the history of Yuan (1279-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties.

The play turned out to be a success among TV viewers in Hong Kong and Taiwan, where the play made debut in 2002. Its producers have authorized a Guangzhou-based culture promotion company to produce and release VCDs of the drama for a larger audience.

Genghis Khan was born in 1167 into a lord's family near the Onon River in Mongolia. In 1206, he unified Mongol tribes and became the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. He was later conferred the title of "Genghis Khan", meaning the "universal ruler".

Genghis Khan conquered most of Eurasia and fathered many children. Kublai, one of his grandsons, later became the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty.