10 Yuan Dreams of Red Mansion

Part of a multi-year commemorative program launched by the People's Bank of China in 2002, this issue draws on Hongloumeng — the 18th-century Qing dynasty novel widely considered the pinnacle of Chinese classical fiction. The novel's authorship remains contested; scholars generally attribute the first 80 chapters to Cao Xueqin, with the final 40 chapters likely completed by Gao E after Cao's death around 1763. That unresolved question has never diminished the work's cultural weight, and the commemorative series it inspired ran across multiple issues with strictly controlled mintages targeting both domestic collectors and the overseas Chinese numismatic market.