2015 marked the 300th anniversary of Cao Xueqin’s birth. To better commemorate this great cultural figure, the Beijing Cao Xueqin Society organized a series of memorial events. Following stops in Xiamen and Quanzhou, the Shanghai event kicked off today at Fudan University. This was also one of the themed activities of the 6th Cao Xueqin Culture and Arts Festival.
The event was chaired by Zheng Zhaoli, Vice Dean of the School of Philosophy at Fudan University.
Mr. Hu Deping’s presentation mainly revolved around the historical information conveyed by Cao Xueqin-related relics. It was divided into two parts: the first part explained the society in which Cao Xueqin wrote "Dream of the Red Chamber"; the second part involved a re-examination of Cao Xueqin-related relic information.
It is reported that Mr. Hu Deping, former Vice Minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and former Party Group Secretary of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, has been dedicated to promoting China’s private economy for many years. In recent years, he has immersed himself in organizing the archival materials of his father, Hu Yaobang, and has continuously offered insights on economic and social reform and development, attracting significant public attention. By contrast, his longstanding research and contributions to Cao Xueqin and "Dream of the Red Chamber" have been much less known.
In the early 1980s, Mr. Hu Deping conducted a four-year field investigation in the Western Hills area of Beijing. Combining this with literature research, he proposed the “Cao Xueqin Former Residence Theory,” and on the basis of the old house at No. 39 Zhengbaiqi, Fragrant Hills, helped establish China’s first Cao Xueqin Memorial Museum.
In the past, Mr. Hu Deping seldom spoke publicly about his research on Cao Xueqin and "Dream of the Red Chamber." During this presentation, he systematically addressed eleven important issues in the study of Cao Xueqin and the novel.
These included the need to recognize Cao Xueqin’s social status; whether Cao Xueqin wrote only "Dream of the Red Chamber"; the two methods of allegorical interpretation in "Dream of the Red Chamber" studies; focusing on the author’s depiction of the wealth gap in the novel; the prototype of the Grand View Garden; Cao Xueqin’s challenge to imperial authority through the unification of the Three Teachings; the main creative theory running through "Dream of the Red Chamber"; what Cao Xueqin’s philosophical leanings were; and the issue of authorship of the last forty chapters. He pointed out that all these views were derived from his over 30 years of textual research on Cao Xueqin’s former residence, Cao Xueqin’s book chest, and Cao Xueqin’s lost work "Collected Manuscripts from the Studio of Idle Arts."
Speaking about the re-excavation of relic information, Mr. Hu Deping said: “As long as physical objects or relics exist, such research should not be interrupted, but should continue. There may be failures, there may be errors, but as long as the relics exist, our research efforts are justified.”
Before concluding his speech, Mr. Hu Deping emphasized that “as Redology has developed over the past century, how to adapt to the trends of the times, adopt new methods, new forms, and new thinking to popularize Redology and study Cao Xueqin are meaningful focal points. It is a valuable cultural endeavor. He stressed the need to believe in the power of 'Dream of the Red Chamber' and Cao Xueqin, oppose the current social phenomena of not reading and making things up, and trust in truth. We must unite more forces, especially those of young people.”
Links:
Beijing Cao Xueqin Society: Originally established in 1983 by Mr. Hu Deping as the China Cao Xueqin Research Association. This non-profit organization focuses on the study of Cao Xueqin and "Dream of the Red Chamber," while also engaging in the industrialization of this theme. It possesses comprehensive resources in academic research, literary and artistic creation, relic authentication, museum archaeology, editing and publishing, and economic investment. Renowned writer Wang Meng serves as the Honorary President of the Beijing Cao Xueqin Society, while Hu Deping is the Society’s President.
Cao Xueqin Culture and Arts Festival: Initiated by the Beijing Cao Xueqin Society, it is a branded cultural event themed on spreading the culture of Cao Xueqin and "Dream of the Red Chamber," with the aim of promoting outstanding traditional Chinese culture.
"Dream of the Red Chamber Music Legend": Produced by renowned young conductor and composer Cai Donghua and the C House artist team. "Dream of the Red Chamber Music Legend" comes in both “stage version” and “garden version.” The concert has received authorization from Wang Liping, composer of the 1987 "Dream of the Red Chamber," and features performances with Cao Xueqin as the protagonist, creating a multidimensional musical drama based on the novel.