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{{Short description|Academic study of Cao Xueqin's Dream of the Red Chamber}}
[[File:Jimao Dream of the Red Chamber.jpg|thumb|A page from the 1759 "Jimao manuscript" of the novel.<ref>{{cite book|title=Rereading the Stone: Desire and the Making of Fiction in Dream of the Red Chamber|author=Yu, Anthony C.|publisher=[[Princeton University Press]]|year=2001|isbn= 	  0691015619|page=9}}</ref>]]
[[File:高月谭详评红楼梦 2.jpg|thumb|A collection of commentaries on the ''Dream of the Red Chamber'' by Gao Yuetan]]
'''Redology''' ({{zh|t=紅學|s=红学|p=hóng xué}}) is the academic study of [[Cao Xueqin]]'s ''[[Dream of the Red Chamber]]'',<ref>[[Jonathan Spence]], ''[[The Search for Modern China]]'' (New York: Norton, 1990), 106–110. {{ISBN|0-393-30780-8}}.</ref> one of the [[Four Great Classical Novels]] of China. There are numerous researchers in this field; most can be divided into four general groups: the first group are the commentators, such as Zhou Chun, Xu Fengyi, Chen Yupi, and others; the second group is the index group, which includes Wang Mengruan and [[Cai Yuanpei]]; the third group are the [[textual critics]], including [[Hu Shih]] and [[Yu Pingbo]]; the final group are the [[literary criticism|literary critics]], including [[Zhou Ruchang]] and [[Li Xifan]].
==History==
A 1976 essay by [[Joey Bonner]] split the Chinese critical reception of the novel into five phases:<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YIesAgAAQBAJ|title = The Chinese Classic Novels (Routledge Revivals): An Annotated Bibliography of Chiefly English-Language Studies|isbn = 9781136836589|last1 = Berry|first1 = Margaret|date = 18 October 2010}}</ref>
*;Pre-1791: Commentators on the pre-publication manuscripts, such as [[Zhiyanzhai|Rouge Inkstone]] and [[Odd Tablet]], who mainly provide literary analysis of the first 80 chapters.
*;1791–1900: Post-publication questions over authorship of the addendum, speculation upon esoteric aspects of the book. After 1875 using the term "Redology" for the studies.
*;1900–1922: Political interpretations.
*;1922–1953: "New Redology" led by [[Hu Shih]], approach questions of textual authenticity, documentation, dating, and a strong autobiographical focus. The labelling of previous periods as "Old Redology".
*;1954–current [1975]: [[Marxist literary theory|Marxist literary criticism]], the book seen as a criticism of society's failures. [[Li Xifan]]'s criticism of both Old Redology and Neo-Redologists such as Hu Shih and [[Yu Pingbo]].
== Academic research institutes ==
There are many Redology academic institutions, especially university affiliated ones:
* The Society of the Dream of the Red Chamber (中国红楼梦学会) in [[Beijing]]
* The Cao Xueqin Society of Beijing (北京曹雪芹学会) in Beijing
* The Cao Xueqin Center for Aesthetics and Art (北京大学曹雪芹美学艺术研究中心) at [[Peking University]], Beijing
* The Weiming Society for ''Hongloumeng'' Studies at [[Peking University]], Beijing
* International Research Center of the Dream of the Red Chamber (RDRC), [[National Dong Hwa University College of Humanities and Social Sciences]], Taiwan<ref>{{Cite web |title=國際紅學研究中心 - 國立東華大學 |url=https://rdrc.ndhu.edu.tw/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=rdrc.ndhu.edu.tw}}</ref>
* Dream of the Red Chamber Research Centre, [[University of Malaya]], Malaysia
== References ==
{{reflist}}
==Further reading==
*Zhou Ruchang. ''Between Noble and Humble: Cao Xueqin and the Dream of the Red Chamber'', edited by Ronald R Gray and Mark S. Ferrara. New York:Peter Lang, 2009
==External links==
*[http://gbtimes.com/life/redology-study-classic-chinese-masterpiece Redology: the study of a classic Chinese masterpiece] by Joyce Cheng, ''GB Times'', July 24, 2013
{{Dream of the Red Chamber}}
[[Category:Chinese literary schools]]
[[Category:Chinese culture]]
[[Category:Dream of the Red Chamber]]
[[Category:Literary criticism]]
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