National Palace Museum Launches New Exhibition

"Dream of the Red Chamber" is a recollection, reminiscing about the noble families of the prosperous Qing Dynasty, the fleeting years of wealth and prosperity. The novel is filled with author Cao Xueqin's (c. 1716-1763) obsession and reflection on the past, and his sighs over the decline from peak prosperity and the fall of the family. The exhibition, titled "Dream of the Red Chamber," uses collections from the National Palace Museum, the National Library, and the National Taiwan University Library as material. By reading the novel through "objects," it will lead us to see those vanished years and the exquisite beauty and sorrow of "Dream of the Red Chamber." The exhibition unfolds along three axes. First, "Grandeur and Observation": presenting the charm of "Dream of the Red Chamber," lies in the exquisite material culture of the aristocratic class, and in the wealth and prosperity revealed by the author's life experience as born into a family of Jiangning imperial weavers. Second, "Exotic Goods and Rare Treasures": selecting foreign imports mentioned in the book, suggesting the author used them to highlight the fashion of the Jia mansion, and indicating the trend of imitation sparked by the court's popularity of "foreign goods" during the author's time. Third, "A Dreamlike Fantasy": explaining how characters in the book are depicted based on the objects they use or are associated with, shaping different personalities and metaphors, and portraying the short yet brilliant life stances of women, evoking pity and reluctance to part. "Dream of the Red Chamber" is inseparable from "emotions" – familial love, romantic love, friendship, and the bond between master and servant. Emotions are intricately woven with the interactions between "people." People, in turn, become three-dimensional and warm through the embellishment of "objects." "Objects" give the novel a visual dimension, making it a tangible "Dream of the Red Chamber."