The Cao Xueqin Museum is located in Zheng Baiqi Village at the foot of the Xiangshan Hill in Beijing's western suburbs.

It was here that the 18th century novelist wrote the internationally acclaimed novel A Dream of the Red Mansions.

The exhibition rooms include Cao's sleeping chamber, with a Qing Dynasty "Eight Banners" canopy bed like the one found in his book.

The study has also been kept intact, duplicates of his close friend E Bi's calligraphy hung along one wall.

Aside from books and other relics of that time, the museum devotes a section tot eh objects and customs of the Qing Dynasty banner men.

Add: Beijing Botanical Garden;

Entry ticket: 10 yuan;

Opening hours:  8:30 -- 16:30 from April to October;
                            9:00 -- 16:00 from November to March;

Traffic: Bus No.s 737, 904, 331, 833, 360, 854, T6 and T112;

Tel: 86-10-62595904. 

(China.org.cn December 30, 2005)