The series was jointly produced by Chinese Entertainment Shanghai and Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, and stars an ensemble cast of talents from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the United States and Canada.

Having served Song for years, the Yangs are viewed as an honorable, courageous, and patriotic clan that protects the nation from foreign invasion.

The series' war segments were later reused in The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2008) for the flashback scene depicting Yang Zaixing's death.

During its premiere, the production team hosted runway events for cast members to showcase their costumes.

The Yang generals and Yelü Xie's costumes were designed based on battle armour from the Tang, Song and Liao dynasties.