Dream of the Red Chamber

Synopsis

"Dream of the Red Chamber" is the foremost of China's Four Great Classical Novels, written by the Qing Dynasty author Cao Xueqin. The complete work consists of 120 chapters, with the first 80 chapters being the original work of Cao Xueqin, and the latter 40 chapters compiled by Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E. The novel centers on the tragic love story of Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, and Xue Baochai, depicting the rise and fall of the four major families—Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue. It is acclaimed as an encyclopedia of Chinese feudal society.

Overview

Dream of the Red Chamber, originally titled The Story of the Stone, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature and is widely regarded as the pinnacle of Chinese classical fiction. Its author, Cao Xueqin (c. 1715–1763), courtesy name Mengruan and pseudonym Xueqin, was born into a family of hereditary officials of the Imperial Textile Manufactory in Jiangning. For three generations, the Cao family served as Commissioners of the Jiangning Textile Manufactory, with Cao Xueqin's great-grandfather, Cao Yin, enjoying the deep trust of the Kangxi Emperor. In the sixth year of the Yongzheng reign (1728), the Cao family's property was confiscated, leading to their decline into poverty. Cao Xueqin, in destitute circumstances, painstakingly composed this work, revising it over ten years and making five major revisions. He died of illness in the western suburbs of Beijing before completing it.

Set against the backdrop of the rise and fall of the four major families—Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue—the novel centers on the tragic love and marriage between Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, and Xue Baochai, depicting the historical fate of a feudal aristocratic family's decline from prosperity. According to statistics by Redology expert Xu Gongshi, the novel portrays a total of 975 characters, 732 of whom have names—a number far exceeding the total number of characters in all of Shakespeare's plays. The novel encompasses the essence of traditional Chinese culture, including cuisine, clothing, architecture, medicine, and poetry, earning it the reputation of an encyclopedia of Chinese feudal society.

In 1791, Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E published a 120-chapter popular edition using movable wooden type, enabling the widespread dissemination of Dream of the Red Chamber. Over the following two centuries, a specialized field of study—Redology—emerged around this book, becoming a prominent discipline within Chinese literary research.

Versions and Composition

Regarding the authorship of the last 40 chapters, the traditional view attributes them to Gao E, but a new scholarly consensus suggests that Cheng Weiyuan collected and compiled surviving drafts, with Gao E serving as the editor. The new edition published by the People's Literature Publishing House credits the work as "by Cao Xueqin, continued by an anonymous writer, compiled by Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E."

The Twelve Beauties of Jinling

The principal register of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling lists the twelve most important female characters in the novel:

Classic Film and TV Adaptations

The 1987 CCTV version of Dream of the Red Chamber took three years to film (1984–1987). The production team established a special study class for the cast to delve into the original work. With a total investment of approximately 6.8 million RMB and a Douban rating of 9.7, it remains one of the highest-rated Chinese TV dramas to date.

Redology—A Scholarly Field Dedicated to a Single Book

Redology is the scholarly study of Dream of the Red Chamber, and along with Dunhuang Studies and Oracle Bone Studies, it is considered one of China's three major prominent fields of study. Its main research schools include:

• Allegorical School: Representative figure Cai Yuanpei, who believed the novel alludes to historical figures.
• Textual Criticism School: Representative figures Hu Shi, Yu Pingbo, and Zhou Ruchang, who used scientific methods to research the author and versions.
• Critical School: Representative figure Wang Guowei, who critiqued the novel from aesthetic and philosophical perspectives.
• Social-Historical School: Analyzes the novel's content from social and historical angles.

Global Influence and Translations

Dream of the Red Chamber has been translated into over 30 languages. The two most important complete English translations are:

The UK's The Guardian named Dream of the Red Chamber a "Book of the Millennium." In 2017, the novel's setting, Nanjing, was designated a UNESCO Creative City of Literature, with UNESCO explicitly citing Dream of the Red Chamber as a representative work of Nanjing's literary heritage.

Cultural Significance

Dream of the Red Chamber is not only a great literary work but also an encyclopedia documenting traditional Chinese culture. The novel contains over 200 poems and songs and provides detailed depictions of the Qing dynasty aristocratic class's lifestyle, including cuisine, clothing, etiquette, garden architecture, medicine, health preservation, and theatrical entertainment. It has profoundly influenced later literary creation, drama, film and television, painting, garden design, and other fields, serving as a significant cultural ambassador for Chinese culture to the world.

References

1. Wikipedia — Cao Xueqin: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/曹雪芹
2. Douban — 1987 Version Dream of the Red Chamber: https://movie.douban.com/subject/1864810/
3. China Writer — Authorship of the Last 40 Chapters of Dream of the Red Chamber: http://www.chinawriter.com.cn/n1/2018/0710/c404063-30136971.html
4. The Guardian — Dream of the Red Chamber: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/12/dream-of-the-red-chamber-cao-zuequin-chinas-favourite-novel-unknown-west
5. UNESCO — Nanjing Creative City of Literature: https://www.unesco.org/en/creative-cities/nanjing