Dream of the Red Chamber (1987 TV series)
Encyclopedia
Dream of the Red Chamber , released in 1987, was a television series produced by CCTV
adapted from the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber
. It gained enormous popularity with its superb music, cast, and plot adaptation. It was first filmed in Beijing
in Mandarin
. Then it was translated into Cantonese
, Shanghainese
, and other languages and aired in the rest of China. It is 36 episodes long.
The TV series is regarded by many within China as being a near-definitive adaptation of the novel. A TV remake of the novel
started airing in 2010; however, much objection was raised over the unorthodox costume design and other contested interpretations.
's novel Dream of the Red Chamber. The series begins with the mother-less child, Lin Daiyu - whose beauty and intelligence surpasses all - moving into her maternal grandmother's family in the capital. There, the child meets numerous relatives, one of whom is Jia Baoyu, her mother's nephew, and male protagonist. Baoyu was borne with a jade tablet and so, is treated like a fragile egg, and is spoiled by his grandmother. He often spends his time with his female cousins and maids instead of being in his studies. One of the cousins he hangs around with is Xue Baochai.
As the story goes on, Baoyu and Daiyu eventually fall in love with each other, but Daiyu is not very well liked by the family, and instead, the family members favor Baochai. Eventually, Baoyu and Baochai are forced to marry, and Daiyu dies of a broken heart. The series ends with the Emperor confiscating the Jia family properties and the family members scattered, each to their own tragic end.
Many famous scenes from the novel are adapted in incredible accuracy in the serial. Such scenes include Daiyu Weeps Over Falling Blossoms, The Theory of Gold and Jade, and The Profligate Secretly Takes Second Sister Yu as a Concubine. On the other hand, much of the mystical elements in the novel was not filmed due to the social-political environment of the times.
believe any TV adaptation could do full justice to the novel. Producer and director Wang Fulin's choice of employing non-professional youths were vindicated as the TV series gained enormous popularity in China.
The series' success owes much to composer Wang Liping (王立平). He set many of the novel's classical verses to music, taking as long as four years to deliberate some compositions.
China Central Television
China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV, is the major state television broadcaster in mainland China. CCTV has a network of 19 channels broadcasting different programmes and is accessible to more than one billion viewers...
adapted from the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber
Dream of the Red Chamber
Dream of the Red Chamber , composed by Cao Xueqin, is one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. It was composed in the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. It is considered to be a masterpiece of Chinese vernacular literature and is generally acknowledged to be a pinnacle of...
. It gained enormous popularity with its superb music, cast, and plot adaptation. It was first filmed in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
. Then it was translated into Cantonese
Standard Cantonese
Cantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a language that originated in the vicinity of Canton in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese....
, Shanghainese
Shanghainese
Shanghainese , or the Shanghai language , is a dialect of Wu Chinese spoken in the city of Shanghai and the surrounding region. It is classified as part of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. Shanghainese, like other Wu dialects, is largely not mutually intelligible with other Chinese varieties...
, and other languages and aired in the rest of China. It is 36 episodes long.
The TV series is regarded by many within China as being a near-definitive adaptation of the novel. A TV remake of the novel
A Dream in Red Mansions (2010 TV series)
The Dream of Red Mansions is a 2010 Chinese television series, produced by Han Sanping and directed by Fifth Generation director Li Shaohong. One of the most expensive Chinese TV series ever made at RMB118 million , it is a new adaptation of the classic novel Dream of the Red Chamber...
started airing in 2010; however, much objection was raised over the unorthodox costume design and other contested interpretations.
Plot summary
The series follows the plot of Cao XueqinCao Xueqin
Cao Xueqin was a Qing Dynasty Chinese writer, best known as the author of Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature...
's novel Dream of the Red Chamber. The series begins with the mother-less child, Lin Daiyu - whose beauty and intelligence surpasses all - moving into her maternal grandmother's family in the capital. There, the child meets numerous relatives, one of whom is Jia Baoyu, her mother's nephew, and male protagonist. Baoyu was borne with a jade tablet and so, is treated like a fragile egg, and is spoiled by his grandmother. He often spends his time with his female cousins and maids instead of being in his studies. One of the cousins he hangs around with is Xue Baochai.
As the story goes on, Baoyu and Daiyu eventually fall in love with each other, but Daiyu is not very well liked by the family, and instead, the family members favor Baochai. Eventually, Baoyu and Baochai are forced to marry, and Daiyu dies of a broken heart. The series ends with the Emperor confiscating the Jia family properties and the family members scattered, each to their own tragic end.
Many famous scenes from the novel are adapted in incredible accuracy in the serial. Such scenes include Daiyu Weeps Over Falling Blossoms, The Theory of Gold and Jade, and The Profligate Secretly Takes Second Sister Yu as a Concubine. On the other hand, much of the mystical elements in the novel was not filmed due to the social-political environment of the times.
Episodes
The serial contains 36 episodes spanning the novel.- Daiyu Parted With Her Father and Went to the Capital
- Baoyu, Daiyu, and Baochai's First Meeting at the Hall of Glorious Pageant
- Granny LiuGranny LiuGranny Liu is a character in Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She is an elderly country rustic and a distant relative of Lady Wang through "joining families" and marriage ....
Pays Her First Visit to the Jung Mansion - Daiyu Feels Slight Jealous While meeting Baoyu at Baochai's Home
- Xifeng Sets a Vicious Trap for a Lover
- Xifeng Helps to Manage Affairs at the Ning Mansion
- Literary Talent Tested By Composing Inscriptions for Grandview Garden
- Jung Mansion Had the Imperial Consort's Visitation on the Feast of LanternsFeast of LanternsPacific Grove, California's Feast of Lanterns is an annual celebration, over 100 years old, of the legend of the Blue Willow, a fabricated "Chinese" story...
- A Sweet Girl Shows Deep Feeling One Quiet Day
- A Song Awakes Baoyu to Esoteric Truths
- Meeting a Nightmare In Seeking After Favor
- Daiyu Weeps at Falling Petals
- The Fortune Enjoys Deep Fortune and Long Life
- Chin-chuan Dies a Heroic Death in Shame
- Baoyu Was Beaten For Flirting
- Granny LiuGranny LiuGranny Liu is a character in Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She is an elderly country rustic and a distant relative of Lady Wang through "joining families" and marriage ....
Pays a Visit to Grandview Garden - Xifeng Taken by Surprise Gives Ways to Jealousy
- Yuanyang Vows Never to Marry
- White Snow and Red Plum-Blossum in the Glassy World
- Plucky Qingwen Mends a Peacock-Feather Cape in Bed
- An Evening Banquet on the Feast of Lanterns in the Jung Mansion
- Ping'er Wields Authority to Right a Wrong
- Artful Zijuan Tests Baoyu's Feelings
- Girls Feast at Night in Happy Red Court
- The Profligate Secretly Takes Second Sister Yu as a Concubine
- Xifeng in Jealousy Makes a Scene in the Ning Mansion
- Lady Hsing Feels Wronged and Puts Xifeng in Wrong
- Strange Omen Occurs at Night Banquet
- Spoony Childe Writes a Dirge on Cottonrose Hibiscus
- Drifting Away of Fair Maidens From Grandview Garden
- Sprirtual Jade Was Stolen During a Bustling Feast
- Grieving Over Tanchun's Departure to Marry Far from Home
- Astonished by the Heavy News of the Death of Daiyu
- Forced Xifeng Resigned Herself to a Fate Spread East of Bed-Curtain
- Collapsed Mansion Comes to an End
- A Vast and White Expanse of Immerse Universe
Cast
- Ouyang Fenqiang as Jia BaoyuJia BaoyuJia Baoyu is the principal character in the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber.- Introduction :The first chapter describes how one piece of stone was left over from when the heaven was repaired by the Goddess Nüwa...
- Chen Xiaoxu as Lin DaiyuLin DaiyuLin Daiyu is one of the principal characters of Cao Xueqin's classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She is portrayed as a well-educated, intelligent and beautiful young woman. The romance between Daiyu and Jia Baoyu forms one of the main threads of the book...
- Zhang Li as Xue BaochaiXue BaochaiXue Baochai is one of the principal characters in the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She is extremely beautiful and socially graceful. Her attributes complement those of her cousin Lin Daiyu...
- Cheng Mei as Jia YuanchunJia YuanchunJia Yuanchun is a primary character in the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She is Baoyu's elder sister by about ten years older . Yuanchun was a lady-in-waiting in the Imperial palace first, then, becomes an Imperial Consort...
- Dongfang Wenying as Jia TanchunJia TanchunJia Tanchun is the younger half-sister of Jia Baoyu and a major character in the Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She is the daughter of Jia Zheng and his concubine, Concubine Zhao...
- Guo Xiaozhen as Shi XiangyunShi XiangyunShi Xiangyun is a major fictional character in Dream of the Red Chamber. She is Baoyu's younger second cousin by the Dowager, Grandmother Jia. Xiangyun is the favorite grandniece of the Dowager, Baoyu's grandmother....
- Ji Yu (former name Ji Peijie) as MiaoyuMiaoyuMiaoyu is an important character in Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the classics of Chinese fiction. She is a young, beautiful but aloof Buddhist nun, compelled by circumstances to become a nun, and shelters herself under the nunnery in Prospect Garden...
- Deng JieDeng JieDeng Jie is a television actress and producer in China. Deng was born in Chengdu and attended the Qiujing High School in Chongqing.She portrayed Wang Xifeng in TV series Dream of the Red Chamber and became well-known in mainland China. Her husband is Zhang Guoli, a noted Chinese actor and...
as Wang XifengWang XifengWang Xifeng is one of the principal characters in the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. A not-so-well educated upper-class woman with finesse, she is also known as "Peppercorn Feng" or "Hot Pepper"... - Jin Lili as Jia YingchunJia YingchunJia Yingchun is a major character in the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She is protagonist Jia Baoyu's eldest female first cousin. She is the daughter of Jia She and one of his concubines, and younger half-sister to Jia Lian...
- Zhang Lei as Qin Keqing
- Shen Ling as Ping'erPing'erPing'er is an important character in the Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She is Wang Xifeng's chief maid and personal assistant/confidante, who follows her from the Wang family. Being the chief consultant of the household manager, Ping'er wields considerable power in the Jia household...
- An Wen (former name Zhang Jinglin) as Qingwen
- Yuan Mei as Xiren
- Gao Liang as Jia Lian
- Zhou Xianzhen as Lady WangLady WangLady Wang is a character in the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She is the wife of Jia Zheng, and mother of Jia Zhu , Jia Yuanchun and Jia Baoyu...
- Wu Xiaodong as Jia Yun
- Yang Junyong as Jia Rong
Reception and soundtrack
The 1987 series was originally somewhat controversial as few RedologistsRedology
Redology is the study of the novel Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the Four Classics of China. There are many researchers in this field, most can be divided into four general groups. The first group is the commentators, such as Zhou Chun, Xu Fengyi, Chen Yupi, and others. The second group is...
believe any TV adaptation could do full justice to the novel. Producer and director Wang Fulin's choice of employing non-professional youths were vindicated as the TV series gained enormous popularity in China.
The series' success owes much to composer Wang Liping (王立平). He set many of the novel's classical verses to music, taking as long as four years to deliberate some compositions.
External links
- Dream of Red Mansions, CNTV online complete video, free and legal streaming (Chinese)
- 'A Dream of Red Mansions TV Serial by CCTV (DVD)'