Dream of the Red Chamber is a remembrance. The novel, written by Cao Xueqin (fl.1716 –1763), reminisces about the bygone days of a prominent noble family gilded with opulence and prestige during the High Qing era. Emanating throughout this novel are the author’s retrospection and fixation with the past, as well as his laments over a family on the decline after reaching its prime. With Dream of the Red Chamber as the overarching theme, this exhibition unfolds through the collections of the National Palace Museum, National Central Library and National Taiwan University Library. The objects and materials will take us into this fictional world, through that bygone era, and through the unparalleled beauty and sorrow of Dream of the Red Chamber.

One cannot explore Dream of the Red Chamber without the subject of “love,” be it family or romantic love; be it the love between friends or between the noblesse and their staff. Such love is interlaced within interactions among the “people,” while the portrayal of these people is given emotional depth through “objects and materials,” creating vivid imageries that materialize Dream of the Red Chamber.