Dream of the Red Chamber (Chinese: 紅樓夢; pinyin: hóng lóu mèng) or Chronicles of the Stone (Chinese: 石頭記; pinyin: shí tóu jì), written by Cao Xueqin, is one of the greatest masterpieces of Chinese fiction and of the four Classics, written in the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. The title of the novel has translated in a number of ways, with the word "mansion" or "room" (in singular or plural form) being substituted for "chamber," as in Dream of Red Mansions or Dream of Red Rooms.

While the book has a riveting and intricate plot featuring over 350 characters, it can also be read as a study of 18th-century Chinese manners, or as a Buddhist allegory. A lengthy work, the first 80 chapters were written by Cao and the remaining 40 chapters attributed to a Gao E , who published the combined version in 1792. Gao E claimed to have completed the work based on a manuscript by the author.

A scene from the story, painted by Xu Bao (b.1810)

Other scenes

The story orbits around a wealthy but declining family, the Jia clan, who occupies two large family compounds in the capital. The main characters are the powerful family matriarch Grandmother Jia , the peculiar grandson Jia Baoyu (賈寶玉), who might actually be a stone brought to life, and his two female cousins, the socially-graceful but inwardly cold Xue Baochai (薛寶釵) and the temperamental, sickly and emotional Lin Daiyu (林黛玉). In fact, it would be more accurate to say the main character is the family itself: its many members, their servants, their mutual obligations and expectations, and the unfolding fate of each person.

The novel is graced with different styles of foreshadowing. Through all, the author reveals the reality of life amidst the "red dust" -- the grasping, yearning, opulent, and ultimately futile life of both peasant and elite in 18th-century China. Taoist and Buddhist themes are woven deeply into the structure of the novel and one of Cao Xueqin's aims is to reveal the emptiness and beauty of the aristocratic society he unveils for us.

Family trees

The Jia clan

                                                    common ancestor               
                                                           |                      
               ,-------------------------------------------+----------------------------.
               |                                                                        |
            Jia Yan                                                                   Jia Yuan 
        Duke of Ning-guo                                                         Duke of Rong-guo
               |                                                                        |
          Jia Dai-hua                                                               Jia Dai-Shan  === Grandmother Jia  (née Shi)
               |                                                                                 |
        ,------+-------.                                   ,-------------------------------------+---+------------------------------------------.
        |              |                                   |                                         |                                          |
      Jia Fu        Jia Jing                              Jia She  === Lady Xing                     Jia Zheng  === Lady Wang                     Jia Min  === Lin Ru-hai 
                       |                                         |                                          |                                         |
                ,------+-------.                           ,-----------.                    ,---------+-----+--+---------+----------.                 |
                |              |                           |           |                    |         |        |         |          |                 |
  You-shi  === Cousin Zhen    Xi-chun    Wang Xi-feng === Jia Lian    Ying-chun *  Li Wan === Jia Zhu   Yuan-chun   Bao-yu  Tan-chun *  Jia Huan *        Lin Dai-yu
           |                                        |                                 |
      Jia Rong  === Qin-shi                        Qiao-jie                           Jia Lan 
                                                 ('baby')

 * denotes a child by a concubine

The Wang family

            ,--------------------+--------------+---------------------------------.
            |                    |              |                                 |
   Wang Xi-feng's father    Wang Zi-teng     Lady Wang === Jia Zheng        Aunt Xue  (née Wang)
            |                                          |                          |
     ,------+--.                           ,-----------+--+--------.         ,----+---.
     |         |                           |              |        |         |        |
 Wang Ren   Xi-feng === Jia Lian    Jia Zhu  === Li Wan  Yuan-chun   Bao-yu   Xue Pan  Bao-chai

External links

• An Introduction to Editions of the Red Chamber, David L. Steelman, The Scholar, 1981
• Red on Gold: Teaching Honglou meng in California