Cao Xueqin Memorial Hall

　　   Situated within the compound of Wugong Mansion (i.e., the residence of Wu Enpei) at the east side of Xixiaoshi Street in the old town area of Liaoyang. It consists of 21 rooms enclosed by high walls, forming a small quadrangle courtyard. The site covers an area of 1,300 square meters, with a built-up area of 630 square meters. In August 1997, it was established to commemorate Cao Xueqin’s ancestral roots in Liaoyang, with the name inscribed by the renowned Redology scholar Feng Qiyong. It is the only newly built memorial hall in Northeast China following those in Beijing, Nanjing, and other locations.

　　　  The exhibition space of the Cao Xueqin Memorial Hall spans 480 square meters, featuring four display rooms. The exhibits revolve around his ancestral connection to Liaoyang, with the inscriptions on three historical stone tablets from Liaoyang’s development serving as the central theme. The first is the inscription of “Instructor Cao Zhenyan” on the stele of the “Precious Record of Dajin Master Fashi” from the fourth year of the Tiancong era (June 1630) of the Later Jin, located in -Yuan Garden; the second is the inscription of “Retired Official Cao Zhenyan” in September of the same year at the Jade Emperor Temple; the third is the inscription of “Cao Shijue, Cao Deshun, and Cao Dexian” in the sixth year of the Chongde era (1641) at Mituo Temple in Xincheng. The first two tablets mention Cao Zhenyan, Cao Xueqin’s great-grandfather, while the third tablet features three members of the third branch of the Cao family. Through rubbings of these inscribed tablets, combined with historical documents from the “Liaodong Cao Clan Genealogy” and other sources, the information is presented via diorama-style displays. A seated statue of Cao Xueqin is also on display in the hall.

　　

　　Cao Xueqin (1715～1763)　　Cao Xueqin (circa 1715–circa 1763) was the greatest novelist of China’s Qing Dynasty. His given name was Zhan, courtesy name Mengruan, and his pseudonyms included Xueqin, as well as Qinpu and Qinxi. He was originally from Liaoyang; his ancestors were Han Chinese who later became “Booi” (bondservants) of the Manchu Plain White Banner, thus belonging to the Banner system. He is the author of China’s classic novel *Dream of the Red Chamber*. Written during Cao Xueqin’s later years of hardship and poverty, the novel was originally titled *The Story of the Stone*, with the first 80 chapters largely finalized and circulated in manuscript form. In 1791, Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E published the first movable-type edition, expanding the work to 120 chapters and renaming it *Dream of the Red Chamber*. Biography In the 54th year of the Kangxi reign (17...... Details+