Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, hero and heroine in the Chinese classic "A Dream of Red Mansions" Photo Gallery >>>

    BEIJING, Dec. 6 -- Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, hero and heroine in the Chinese classic "A Dream of Red Mansions," will have a new fate in Liu Xinwu's new sequel to the last 28 chapters of "A Dream of Red Mansions."

    The first 80 chapters of "A Dream of Red Mansions" were originally written by Cao Xueqin. Among the 100 different sequels to "A Dream of Red Mansions," the most popular one is a 40-chapter update written by Gao E during the Qing Dynasty, which has widely been considered as making the classic more complete.

    However, in Liu Xinwu's new sequel, it ends in more tragedy. After Lin Daiyu's death, Jia Baoyu marries with Xue Baochai, but Xue Baichai dies from disease later on as well. In the end, Jia Baoyu returns to be Shen Ying Si Zhe, an immortal figure in imperial heaven.

    Liu Xinwu said people can find clues regarding his new sequel in Cao Xueqin's first 80 chapters.

    The plotlines of the various "A Dream of Red Mansions" sequels differ. Some veer towards the absurd, including one that marries Jia Baoyu eight times, including once to Lin Daiyu.

    Liu Xinwu is not alone in his current pursuit.Twenty-seven-year-old Hangzhou office woman Hu Nan has become better known for her other job: writing another sequel to "A Dream of Red Mansions."A publishing house has decided to publish Hu Nan's book, which will hit bookshelves next January.

    Decoding "A Dream of Red Mansions" with a new touch

    Liu Xinwu has become a major cultural flashpoint in China since he first elaborated on his own ideas and conceptions about "A Dream of Red Mansions" on a televised cultural forum in 2005, giving birth to many discussions and disputes.

    Meanwhile, his ideas have ignited tremendous discussion among the readers as well. In an Internet poll about Liu's decoding of the literature classic, more than 17,000 people participated, but with a take different from that of the scholars: Nearly 80 percent of the participants thought that "Liu has extended the possibilities on the studies of 'A Dream of Red Mansions,' and the effort is positive."

[1] [2] [3] [4]