Casual chat has creative repercussions

"In the autumn, a most beautiful season in Beijing, people can visit the Cao Xueqin Memorial Hall and the nearby China National Botanical Garden, not only to enjoy breathtaking scenery but also to revisit the novel and its characters," says Wei, referring to the festival.

The memorial hall has exhibitions telling the writer's life story, and sells products based on the novel and its characters, like tea, silk fans, notebooks and bookmarks.

There is also a Dream of the Red Chamber-themed post office where people can send postcards with images of the characters, and to popularize the novel among young children, a series of comic books has been launched.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn