“Who was Cao Xueqin?” I ask you. He was one of China’s great masters of literature. It was during the 18th century. His famous masterpiece is A Dream of Red Mansions. Now, we stand at the Cao Xueqin Memorial Hall. It was built to honor this master.
The Cao Xueqin Memorial Hall sits in the Beijing Botanic Garden. It is at the foot of the Fragrant Mountains. This memorial hall is a rectangular courtyard. Low walls surround it.
You will see 18 rooms built in the Qing Dynasty style. They are arranged in front and back rows. The front rooms show the living environment. This is for the eight-banner people during the Qing Dynasty. You will also see Cao Xueqin’s creation environment. This was at Xishan. Discoveries about Cao’s life are also displayed. These span the past two centuries. Relevant books and articles are here too.
The six rear exhibition rooms focus on Cao Xueqin’s life. They also show the impact of A Dream of Red Mansions. The exhibition includes old-fashioned tables for eight people. You’ll find chests, trunks, porcelains, and religious items. There is a silver lock, hand warmer, and a horsetail whisk. This whisk appears in the novel.
A special room shows research on Cao Xueqin. Various versions of A Dream of Red Mansions are displayed. The Cao Xueqin Memorial Hall first opened in 1983. It is the first of its kind in China. Here you can delve into the life and work of Cao Xueqin.
The memorial hall displays Cao Xueqin’s life and his writing. He wrote A Dream of Red Mansions in the Xishan area. The Cherry Valley area provided inspiration. Its beautiful nature inspired Cao’s masterpiece.
Inside the memorial is Yihong Study. It is the first bookstore in China. It focuses on A Dream of Red Mansions. It features carefully selected books. These relate to Cao Xueqin’s studies. It is well worth a visit. The bookstore offers A Dream of Red Mansions merchandise. You can find A Dream of Red Mansions calendars. There are “Bao and Dai Reading Together” bookmarks.
Yihong Study is also home to the only Red Mansions Dream post office in China. Here, you can buy themed postal items. You can also use postal services.
Nearby are Qing Dynasty brick buildings. You can see river walls and ancient wells. These relics blend with the old buildings. They show the garrison life of early Qing Dynasty Xiangshan. They also show water conservancy projects and folk customs.
There is a statue of Cao Xueqin by the Xiaotaihou River. It stands over seven meters tall. His gaze looks towards the Grand Canal. This canal connects to his Jiangnan homeland. Nearby is the Guimeng Pavilion. The couplet reads: “Ten thousand years of unground stone records, a thousand autumns forever carry Cao Xueqin.”
The Cao Xueqin Memorial Hall is more than just a museum. It is a journey into the heart of a literary giant. It is a place where history and art come alive. Remember Cao Xueqin. Remember A Dream of Red Mansions.