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One of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature, Dream of the Red Chamber (Hong Lou Meng), stands as an unparalleled masterpiece, unmatched before or since. This monumental work reflects the social realities, human emotions, and the intricate intricacies of Qing Dynasty life. Under the author’s pen, nearly a hundred vivid characters come to life, each possessing their own subjective world yet interconnected into a grand, cohesive tableau. Through these intertwined stories, readers are offered a deeply moving narrative steeped in folk tradition. Because of its profound artistic value, numerous modern scholars have dedicated themselves to studying the novel’s mysteries, establishing a specialized field known as “Redology” to explore its depths.
展开剩余91%However, despite being a literary gem, Dream of the Red Chamber faced some of the harshest censorship during the Qing Dynasty. Multiple emperors issued imperial edicts banning the book, with the prohibitions becoming especially severe under Emperor Qianlong. Bookstores were forbidden from selling it, and those caught reading the banned text risked legal punishment. Intellectuals lived in fear of these literary purges—called “literary inquisitions”—knowing that even minor infractions related to reading or printing forbidden works could result in devastating consequences, including entire families being destroyed.
The Qing rulers prided themselves on embracing Han culture and saw themselves as learned sovereigns, often flaunting their literary skills by composing poems and essays. Yet paradoxically, they could not tolerate this one book, Dream of the Red Chamber. Why would such a culturally rich and artistically acclaimed novel be so vehemently rejected by a dynasty that celebrated knowledge and art?
The answer lies partly in the political and social context of its time. The novel’s status and reception were deeply influenced by the prevailing atmosphere of the Qing era. Although its main narrative follows the rise and fall of four aristocratic families—the Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue—the story largely focuses on the private affairs of noble youth, their indulgent lifestyles, and the stark realities of a decaying feudal order. To the Qing rulers, whose priority was controlling public thought, the book’s candid depiction of aristocratic decline and moral decay posed a threat. They interpreted certain passages as politically subversive, disconnected from the regime’s sanctioned ideology, and thus labeled it a forbidden text.
But what exactly in Dream of the Red Chamber unsettled the Qing rulers?
First, it was seen as a thinly veiled critique of the Qing and a nostalgic lament for the fallen Ming Dynasty. After the Ming’s collapse, the Qing relentlessly suppressed loyalist movements seeking to restore the Ming. The book’s very title hints at this: “Hong” (red) is a homophone for “Zhu,” the Ming royal surname. Hence, Dream of the Red Chamber can be read as “Dream of the Zhu Mansion,” implying the fleeting grandeur of the Ming. The novel’s central setting—the two noble Jia households, “Ningguo” and “Rongguo”—symbolize the past and the present respectively. “Ning” (peace) represents the vanished past (Ming), while “Rong” (glory) denotes the Qing’s current reign.
The character Jia Jing from the Ningguo house echoes several Ming emperors, particularly Emperor Jiajing. Jia Jing, like Jiajing, neglects his duties and immerses himself in alchemy, reflecting Jiajing’s historical retreat from governance. Though titled, Jia Jing fails to pursue scholarly success, paralleling Emperor Zhengde’s erratic behavior and aspirations. Both have only one son, a rarity mirroring Ming Emperor Xiaozong’s family situation, which led to dynastic instability. Jia Zhen’s reckless character even echoes Zhengde’s capriciousness. The Ningguo house’s decline allegorizes the Ming’s downfall due to succession crises, a widely accepted historical interpretation.
The Rongguo house, led by the venerable matriarch Grandmother Jia and her numerous descendants, resembles the Qing’s early imperial family, notably Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and her lineage. The choice of a younger son to inherit the family’s fortunes, bypassing the eldest, subtly critiques Qing-era controversial succession practices. Ultimately, both Jia households perish, symbolizing a complete societal collapse. The line “a vast whiteness spreads across the land” underscores the final ruin—an idea the Qing court found intolerable. Suggesting that both the Ming and Qing could fall was an incendiary notion.
Throughout the novel, allusions to the Ming’s demise and the Qing’s critique appear repeatedly. For example, in chapter 52, a character recites verses beginning with “Last night’s red mansion dream, tonight’s water kingdom chant.” “Red mansion” stands for the Ming, and “water kingdom” is a metaphor for the Qing. Judging by these layered references and prophetic commentaries, the Jia family’s tragic fate mirrors the fate of the Ming dynasty, which suffered from internal rebellions, betrayals, and brutal Manchu repression. These politically sensitive themes struck nerves among Qing authorities, justifying their censorship.
Second, the novel employs allegory to hint at national issues through family drama. A notable example is the drunken rant of the servant Jiao Da, cursing those who “keep concubines” or “support brothers-in-law.” This seems like a drunken outburst, but it covertly references contentious Qing court scandals—especially the rumor that Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang married her brother-in-law Dorgon to consolidate power. Such allusions were taboo and deeply offensive to the Qing regime.
Moreover, some character names in the novel directly correspond to Qing princes, which was a grave offense. Emperor Qianlong fathered seventeen sons, many of whom died young or were adopted by relatives. Their names—Yonghuang, Yonglian, Yongcong, Yongcheng, Yongqi, Yongrong—were thinly disguised as Jia Huang, Jia Lian, Jia Cong, Wang Cheng, Qi Guan, and Shui Rong in the novel. This brazen repurposing of royal names was considered a rebellious act, showing blatant disrespect to imperial authority.
In traditional Chinese society, the emperor’s name and those of his family were sacrosanct; commoners daring to use them risked punishment. Yet, Cao Xueqin, the author, incorporated these names openly, embedding imperial identities within his fictional world. The heroine Lin Daiyu’s character is widely believed to be modeled on Empress Xiaoxian Chun, Qianlong’s beloved consort, who tragically drowned during an imperial tour. This further heightened the novel’s political sensitivity.
Lin Daiyu is portrayed as the reincarnation of the celestial Jiangzhu fairy, whose earthly mother was Jia Min, making Lin Daiyu Jia Grandmother’s granddaughter by extension. Grandmother Jia’s deep affection for her daughter Jia Min extends to Lin Daiyu, whom she treats with great tenderness. Lin Daiyu is also called “Xiaoxiang Feizi” (Princess of Xiaoxiang), referencing legendary princesses who mourned by the Xiang River, symbolizing sorrow and fragility. Lin Daiyu’s melancholic and sensitive nature parallels these ancient myths and evokes Empress Xiaoxian Chun’s tragic story.
The Qianlong Emperor’s grief over Empress Xiaoxian Chun’s death is well documented—he penned poignant elegies and decreed elaborate mourning rituals, emphasizing the profound imperial loss. Historical records describe nine days of halted court sessions, twelve days of mourning dress for the court, and stringent prohibitions on weddings and celebrations within the capital, illustrating the emperor’s genuine sorrow. This public display of grief contrasted sharply with the private rumors embedded in Dream of the Red Chamber, further complicating the book’s reception.
The novel also includes subtle references to imperial family members through symbolic figures. For example, Liu Laolao is disparagingly nicknamed “Mother Locust,” which slyly hints at “Mother Empress,” a veiled jab at Qianlong’s own mother, the Empress Dowager.
Cao Xueqin’s boldness extended beyond characters to settings. The famed Grand View Garden in the novel is believed to be inspired by the Old Summer Palace (Yuanming Yuan), which was destroyed by foreign armies in the 19th century. Historical accounts mention that Qianlong and his poets composed verses and painted scenes of the Yuanming Yuan, some inscribed with the word “Grand View” (Daguanyuan). This connection suggests the novel’s garden is a symbolic microcosm of the imperial palace, hinting at palace intrigues and secrets. Thus, Dream of the Red Chamber inevitably touches on sensitive court histories.
These two major factors explain why the Qing government banned the novel. Yet, what is more perplexing is that during the reign of Emperor Xianfeng, China faced the devastating Taiping Rebellion—a massive peasant uprising led by Hong Xiuquan, who established a rival kingdom that challenged Qing rule for over a decade. After the rebellion’s suppression, one would expect the regime to examine its flaws and improve governance. Instead, Qing authorities blamed moral decay among the populace and works like Dream of the Red Chamber for corrupting youth and fomenting unrest.
The regime accused such literature of promoting vanity and decadence, encouraging rebellious thoughts and disrespect for authority, thus undermining social order. They argued that officials’ negligence allowed crimes to flourish, but fundamentally, it was decadent books that poisoned public morals and contributed to the chaos. The spreading of “immoral and criminal” writings was directly linked to the origins of the Taiping uprising.
From today’s perspective, it seems absurd to blame a novel for political turmoil. Dream of the Red Chamber is fundamentally a tale about a family’s decline, reflecting the author’s lament over dynastic changes. It exposes the spiritual decay and moral corruption of the feudal aristocracy while sympathetically portraying rebellious spirits and oppressed women. The book objectively depicts the fall of a social order that the rulers preferred to keep hidden, fearing public awakening.
At the time, men held dominant societal status, while women were relegated to mere possessions, strictly confined by the “Three Obediences and Four Virtues.” Women were
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