《紅樓夢》以其複雜豐富的人物群像、縱橫交錯的情節結構、深邃的思想內涵以及精湛的藝術技巧而在世界文學史上佔有舉足輕重的地位。該作品通過描繪一個大家族的盛衰興亡，鮮明映射當時社會的多重矛盾與衝突，從而展現了其深刻的現實意義。透過對中國貴族家庭生活方式的生動描繪，作者深入地探討了命運、愛情、友情及人性等一系列哲學問題。此外，《紅樓夢》還集中體現了中國傳統文化的精粹，包括詩詞、禮俗、飲食、醫學、園林建築等方面，彰顯了其深厚的文化底蘊。本課程旨在通過對《紅樓夢》的深入閱讀和分析，引領學者和學生深入理解這部經典作品的多維文化內容和豐富的文學價值。通過探索紅學研究的歷程、不同學派觀點及學術成就，本課程不僅旨在提升學生對古典文學作品深度閱讀和批評分析的能力，並致力於指導學生撰寫關於《紅樓夢》的研究報告，將《紅樓夢》的藝術成就和文化價值置於學術討論的前沿，期待促進對這部文學巨著更加深入的理解和評價。

Dream of the Red Chamber (Hongloumeng) holds a preeminent position in world literature for its extraordinarily rich cast of characters, intricately interwoven narrative structure, profound intellectual depth, and masterful artistic techniques. By portraying the rise and decline of a powerful aristocratic family, the novel vividly reflects the multiple social contradictions and tensions of its historical moment, thereby revealing its enduring realism and critical significance.

Through its detailed depiction of the everyday life of an elite Chinese household, the work offers sustained reflections on fundamental philosophical themes such as fate, love, friendship, desire, and human nature. At the same time, Dream of the Red Chamber serves as a comprehensive repository of traditional Chinese culture, encompassing poetry, ritual practices, cuisine, medicine, garden architecture, and aesthetic values, thus demonstrating the novel’s exceptional cultural richness.

This course aims to guide students and scholars through a close reading and in-depth analysis of Dream of the Red Chamber, fostering a nuanced understanding of its multidimensional cultural content and literary achievements. By examining the development of Redology (Hongxue)—including its major interpretive approaches, scholarly debates, and research milestones—the course seeks not only to enhance students’ abilities in close reading and critical analysis of classical literary texts, but also to train them in conducting independent research and producing academic papers on Dream of the Red Chamber. Ultimately, the course places the novel’s artistic accomplishments and cultural significance at the forefront of scholarly inquiry, encouraging a deeper and more critical appreciation of this monumental work.