Dream of the Red Chamber (《红楼梦》, Hónglóu mèng, A Dream of Red Mansions, Story of the Stone) composed in the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty by Cao Xueqin (曹雪芹, Cáo Xuěqín, 1715-1764) is a masterpiece of Chinese fiction. It is considered one of the Four Great Classical Novels (Journey to the West, Heroes of the Marshes and Romance of the Three Kingdoms) of Chinese literature, originally published in the 1590s of China.

The novel is a detailed record of the lives of the extended Jia Clan. Originally extremely wealthy and influential, the clan falls into disfavor with the Emperor and declines eventually. The novel centers on some 30 main characters and over 400 minor ones. Jia Baoyu, the young heir of the family, is in love with his sickly cousin, the emotional Lin Daiyu. However, he is predestined to marry another cousin, Xue Baochai. This love triangle against the background of the family's declining fortunes forms the most well-known plot line among the others in the novel.

The novel is remarkable in its huge cast of characters and its psychological scope, but also in its precise and detailed observations of the life and social structures that are typical in the 18th century.