Zhou Ruchang

Zhou Ruchang (1918–2012), courtesy name Yuyan and self-styled Jiewei Daoren, was a native of Tianjin. He graduated from Yenching University and later taught at West China Union University and Sichuan University, before serving as an editor at the People's Literature Publishing House and as a researcher and adviser at the Chinese Academy of Arts. He devoted his life to the study of Dream of the Red Chamber and is regarded as a leading synthesizer of the "New Redology." His works include A New Study of Dream of the Red Chamber and The True Text of The Story of the Stone. This collection holds ten of his titles, spanning classical literature, literary appreciation and essays. Besides several Redology works such as Zhou Ruchang's Ingenious Readings of Dream of the Red Chamber, along with The Red Chamber Dazzles and The Red Chamber in Another Light, they include an anthology of Song ci appreciation, a selection of Yang Wanli's writings, a course on classical Chinese fiction, and lectures on classical poetry. His writing combines scholarly rigor with an essayist's warmth, often guiding readers through textual editions, poetry and character details to savor the feeling of classical works. He was also accomplished in poetry, calligraphy and translation.