What books should we read to understand China—its culture, its history? British-Chinese journalist, author and activist Xinran picks five to get started with, including the book believed by many to be the greatest Chinese novel ever written. (You can also read this interview in Chinese by clicking here.)

Exhibition poster for the 2021 edition of Gallery Weekend Beijing 画廊周北京. The design is by DUAN Zhihua of Shanghai-based design studio, Pocca (Playground of Conceptive & Cheerful Actions). The title of the exhibition is bi-scriptual: The English version, Dream of th

Dream of the Red Chamber, by Cao Xueqin, follows the travails of a pubescent boy. Somehow, through the spats, crushes and rivalries of a handful of teenagers, the great questions of the human condition are broached.

Dream Of The Red Chamber or The Story Of The Stone is a classical Chinese novel written by Cao Xueqin sometime in the middle of the 18th century. And there’s nothing simple about this book - neither the story of its conception, nor the plot, the topics, nor the characters. It is such a complex and in-depth view into the 18th-century lifestyles, aesthetics, world view, and social relations that it has spawned a branch of literary studies dedicated to the novel called ‘Redology.’ Although it shows the lives of two aristocratic and wealthy branches of the Jia clan in a very realistic and naturalistic way, it also talks about much deeper things such as religious and philosophical questions.

Here's a concise list of the best selling books of all time. The following is a list of the bestseller single volume books of all time.

Before most Chinese readers learned of Romeo and Juliet, they fell for Dream of the Red Chamber. The 18th-century novel follows a love triangle between a boy and his two female cousins. It's been called China's greatest literary work, and now a new adaptation hopes to introduce it to an American audience.

Cao Xueqin (Cao Xue-qin or Tsao Hsueh-chin) is the author of Dream of the Red Chamber, the greatest classical Chinese novel in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

What it is: A candle that will fill your home with the fruity floral scent of Dream Lychee.Fragrance story: Inspired by Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xuequin, this candle features fruity, floral notes of lychee, cyclamen, lily and rose water mixed with sandalwood and musk.Style: Fruity, floral.Notes:- Top: rose water, cyclamen- Middle: lily, lychee- Base:sandalwood, muskHow to use: For the first lighting, allow the entire surface of the candle to be fully melted to maximize the full use of wax. Trim the wick 1/4 inch before lighting.7 oz. 60-hour approximate burn time Soy vegetable wax/fragrance/glass Made in the USA Item #10274170