Chinese scholars studying Dream of the Red Chamber are proposing to establish a museum to mark the 240th birthday anniversary of Cao Xueqin, the author of the best-known Chinese novel.

Dream of the Red Chamber is a romantic tragedy which unfolds within a Chinese feudalist family living during the waning days of the Ming dynasty over 400 years ago. The novel is regarded as one of the greatest ancient realism works in Chinese literature. There are many organizations in China and around the world studying this novel.

There is a Cao Xueqin Memorial Hall in western Beijing, built in 1983, but as of yet, there is no museum in his name.

(CRI January 30, 2004)