Dream of the Red Chamber

Dream of the Red Chamber

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The Camera

More on Cao Xueqin's amazing descriptive abilities

Daniel Evensen's avatar
Daniel Evensen
Jun 26, 2026
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The Camera

仇英《桃花源图》

Among all the excitement of yesterday’s post, there’s a gem in here that you might not have noticed.

Cao Xueqin created this small section of Dream of the Red Chamber by using a technique that makes the whole thing feel cinematic.

We start off by entering into a stone cave or grotto, after which things open up slowly:

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