What kind of book was 'Dream of the Red Chamber'?
'Dream of the Red Chamber' was considered a classic in the history of Chinese novels in the Qing Dynasty. The novel used the stories of Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai and other characters as the main line to describe the rise and fall of a wealthy family and the various life styles. The novel used "Story of the Stone" as the prequel, interweaving the rise and fall of the four families of "Jia, Shi, Wang, Xue" and finally ending with the story of Jia Baoyu's dream-walking in the Great Illusionary Land. Through exquisite descriptions, rich characters and profound thoughts, the novel shows the essence of Chinese traditional culture and the complexity of human nature, which is regarded as a peak in the history of Chinese novels. Dream of the Red Chamber not only achieved great artistic achievements, but also had important historical and social value. It had a profound influence on the development of ancient Chinese novels and was also an important part of Chinese culture.