Cao Xueqin

Cao Xueqin
Statue of Cao Xueqin in Beijing
Born(1710-04-04)4 April 1710
Nanjing, China
Died10 June 1765(1765-06-10) (aged 55)
Beijing
OccupationNovelist, poet, painter, philosopher
Chinese name
Chinese曹雪芹
Hanyu PinyinCáo Xuěqín
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinCáo Xuěqín
Wade–GilesTsʻao2 Hsüeh3-ch'in2
IPA[tsʰǎʊ ɕɥètɕʰǐn]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationChòuh Syut-kàhn
Southern Min
Hokkien POJChô Soat-khîn
Tâi-lôTsô Suat-khîn
Courtesy name
Traditional Chinese夢阮
Simplified Chinese梦阮
Hanyu PinyinMèngruǎn
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinMèngruǎn
Birth name
Chinese曹霑
Hanyu PinyinCáo Zhān
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinCáo Zhān
Wade–GilesTsʻao2 Chan1

Cao Xueqin ([tsʰǎʊ ɕɥètɕʰǐn] tsow sh'weh-chin; 4 April 1710  10 June 1765) was a Chinese novelist and poet during the Qing dynasty. He is best known as the author of Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. His given name was Cao Zhan (曹霑) and his courtesy name was Mengruan.