{ "contentStorage": "postgres", "title": "Li Wan", "description": "Li Wan, courtesy name Gongcai, is a character in Dream of the Red Chamber and one of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling in the main register. She is the wife of Jia Zhu, the eldest son of Jia Zheng. Widowed young, she raised her posthumous son Jia Lan, was kind and did not interfere much, was called the Great Bodhisattva, and served as head of the Begonia Poetry Club under the name Daoxiang Laonong.", "url": "/en/people/li-wan.html", "entity": { "id": "person_cn_q10788075", "type": "person", "title": "Li Wan", "slug": "li-wan", "aliases": [ "李纨" ], "summary": "Li Wan, courtesy name Gongcai, is a character in Dream of the Red Chamber and one of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling in the main register. She is the wife of Jia Zhu, the eldest son of Jia Zheng. Widowed young, she raised her posthumous son Jia Lan, was kind and did not interfere much, was called the Great Bodhisattva, and served as head of the Begonia Poetry Club under the name Daoxiang Laonong.", "status": "published", "categories": [ "category-literature", "category-people", "category-fictional-characters" ], "tags": [ "tag-fictional-character", "tag-classics", "tag-four-great-classics" ], "sources": [ { "id": "wikidata", "title": "Wikidata Q10788075", "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10788075" }, { "id": "zhwiki", "title": "李纨（维基百科）", "url": "https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E7%B4%88" } ], "createdAt": "2026-10-25T00:00:00+08:00", "updatedAt": "2026-10-29T17:21:32+08:00", "updatedBy": "user:admin", "revision": 13, "body": "Li Wan is a character in the novel Dream of the Red Chamber. Wikidata's Chinese label and the Chinese Wikipedia article title are Li Wan, in traditional characters in one form and simplified in the other, and the article gives her courtesy name as Gongcai. It is her name in the book, so the heading stays the same. She is one of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling in the main register. Wikidata records the setting as the dynasty of the novel.[^wikidata][^zhwiki]\n\n## Family and marriage\n\nAccording to the Chinese Wikipedia article, Li Wan came from an official family of Jinling. Her father, Li Shouzhong, was chancellor of the imperial academy and held that a woman without talent is a woman of virtue, so he did not much let his daughter study. He taught her works such as the Biographies of Exemplary Women and the Collection of Worthy Ladies so that she would know a few characters and remember a few virtuous women of past ages, and put more weight on needlework and womanly conduct, hence the name Li Wan and the courtesy name Gongcai. She married Jia Zhu, eldest son of Jia Zheng of the Rongguo house, who died of illness early and left a posthumous son, Jia Lan. She was widowed at seventeen or eighteen, kept strictly to her place and spoke and acted with care, so that her face became wasted. She knew only how to serve her elders and raise her son, and in public to keep her sisters-in-law company at needlework and reading. In the Jia house she was called Mrs Li, Zhu's daughter-in-law, or Zhu's Eldest Lady. The article says that because she had always been virtuous and kept her widowhood from youth, the Lady Dowager and Lady Wang respected her, and she also drew the largest monthly allowance in the garden, nominally ten taels of silver.[^zhwiki]\n\n## Temperament and conduct\n\nThe article says she was kind to servants and did not interfere much, so she was called the Great Bodhisattva. When Wang Xifeng was ill and recovering, she asked Li Wan, Jia Tanchun and Xue Baochai to run the Jia household, and the servants called them the three Taisui who guard the mountain. In chapter 7, when Aunt Xue had Zhou Rui's wife deliver palace flowers to most of the young ladies in the garden, Li Wan alone was passed over. In winter, when the sisters all wore scarlet wool-felt and feather satin cloaks, she wore a plain dark-blue woollen jacket, and Zhiyan zhai commented that it showed her nature. When Tanchun proposed the poetry club, Li Wan became its head with the name Daoxiang Laonong, and although she had the largest income in the garden she lived frugally and asked Wang Xifeng to be the supervising censor who paid for it. In chapter 45 she argues with Wang Xifeng, speaking up for Ping'er too, which shows a more emotional side and a tongue no less quick than Xifeng's. She is close to Ping'er and dislikes Miaoyu. The only complete poem by her is the Grand View Garden inscription written for Jia Yuanchun's visit. In chapter 63, at the flower-drawing game, she draws an old plum, a symbol of chastity.[^zhwiki]\n\n## Verse, song and ending\n\nThe article says her fate verse is the eleventh in the main register of the Twelve Beauties, with a picture of a pot of flourishing orchid and beside it a woman in phoenix crown and robe, and the poem says that peach and plum bear fruit in the spring wind but in the end none can compare to a pot of orchid. The matching song is The Late Glorious Years. The standard last forty chapters do not state her ending: after Lin Daiyu died she helped manage the funeral, and her son Jia Lan went to the capital with Baoyu for the examinations and in chapter 119 passed as the one hundred and thirtieth juren. The article says that readers speculate her end was a reward after hardship, or that Jia Lan rose in the world and then died suddenly, leaving her bereaved in old age.[^zhwiki]\n\n## Critical readings\n\nThe article notes that most studies approach Li Wan through the influence of feudal ritual on her character, calling her a type of asceticism or a living specimen of the three obediences and four virtues, while in 1997 Hu Wenwei praised her for holding to principle and so meeting a good end. Ou Lijuan argues one should not stop at the author's flat portrayal of her; her home at Daoxiang Village is planted with hundreds of red apricot trees, which suggests warmth and passion, while the design of green hills slanting across it suggests the restraint of ritual on her, so that she is a dormant volcano that is not fully extinct. Ji Xueyuan points out that her life in the garden shows much vitality, and that the division of tasks and the rules of the Begonia Poetry Club were her proposals.[^zhwiki]\n\n## Basic facts\n\n- Name: Li Wan, courtesy name Gongcai, also called Zhu's Eldest Lady[^wikidata][^zhwiki]\n- Role: wife of Jia Zhu, mother of Jia Lan, one of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling[^zhwiki]\n- Setting recorded on this entry: the dynasty of the novel[^wikidata]\n- Appears in: [[work_cn_q8265|Dream of the Red Chamber]][^zhwiki]", "url": "/people/li-wan.html", "lang": "en", "availableLangs": [ "zh", "en" ], "disambiguation": "Character in Dream of the Red Chamber", "isFictional": true, "personCategory": "literary character" }, "entities": null, "tags": [ { "id": "tag-fictional-character", "slug": "fictional-character", "name": "Fictional character", "description": "Fictional or literary characters from classic works.", "names": { "ar": "شخصية أدبية", "de": "Literarische Figur", "en": "Fictional character", "es": "Personaje literario", "fr": "Personnage littéraire", "hi": "साहित्यिक पात्र", "id": "Tokoh sastra", "it": "Personaggio letterario", "ja": "文学上の人物", "ko": "문학 인물", "ms": "Watak sastera", "nl": "Literair personage", "pt": "Personagem literária", "ru": "Литературный персонаж", "th": "ตัวละครวรรณกรรม", "tr": "Edebî karakter", "vi": "Nhân vật văn học", "zh": "文学人物", "zh-hant": "文學人物" }, "descriptions": { "ar": "شخصيات خيالية أو أدبية من الأعمال الكلاسيكية.", "de": "Fiktive oder literarisierte Figuren aus klassischen Werken.", "en": "Fictional or literary characters from classic works.", "es": "Personajes ficticios o literarios de obras clásicas.", "fr": "Personnages fictifs ou littéraires d'œuvres classiques.", "hi": "शास्त्रीय कृतियों के काल्पनिक या साहित्यिक पात्र।", "id": "Tokoh fiktif atau sastrawi dari karya klasik.", "it": "Personaggi fittizi o letterari di opere classiche.", "ja": "古典名著に登場する架空または文学化された人物。", "ko": "고전 명저에 등장하는 허구적·문학적 인물.", "ms": "Watak rekaan atau bersifat sastera daripada karya klasik.", "nl": "Fictieve of literaire personages uit klassieke werken.", "pt": "Personagens fictícias ou literárias de obras clássicas.", "ru": "Вымышленные или литературные персонажи классических произведений.", "th": "ตัวละครสมมติหรือเชิงวรรณกรรมจากวรรณกรรมคลาสสิก", "tr": "Klasik eserlerdeki kurmaca veya edebî karakterler.", "vi": "Nhân vật hư cấu hoặc mang tính văn học trong tác phẩm cổ điển.", "zh": "古典名著中的虚构或文学化人物。", "zh-hant": "古典名著中的虛構或文學化人物。" }, "count": 1026 }, { "id": "tag-classics", "slug": "classics", "name": "Classics", "description": "Classic works and novels of pre-modern China.", "names": { "ar": "كلاسيكيات", "de": "Klassiker", "en": "Classics", "es": "Clásicos", "fr": "Classiques", "hi": "शास्त्रीय कृतियाँ", "id": "Karya klasik", "it": "Classici", "ja": "古典名著", "ko": "고전 명저", "ms": "Karya klasik", "nl": "Klassiekers", "pt": "Clássicos", "ru": "Классика", "th": "วรรณกรรมคลาสสิก", "tr": "Klasik eserler", "vi": "Tác phẩm cổ điển", "zh": "古典名著", "zh-hant": "古典名著" }, "descriptions": { "ar": "الأعمال الكلاسيكية والروايات في الصين ما قبل الحديثة.", "de": "Klassische Werke und Romane des vormodernen China.", "en": "Classic works and novels of pre-modern China.", "es": "Obras clásicas y novelas de la China premoderna.", "fr": "Œuvres classiques et romans de la Chine prémoderne.", "hi": "पूर्व-आधुनिक चीन की शास्त्रीय कृतियाँ और उपन्यास।", "id": "Karya klasik dan novel Tiongkok pra-modern.", "it": "Opere classiche e romanzi della Cina premoderna.", "ja": "中国古代の古典的な著作と小説。", "ko": "중국 고대의 고전 저술과 소설.", "ms": "Karya klasik dan novel China pramoden.", "nl": "Klassieke werken en romans uit het premoderne China.", "pt": "Obras clássicas e romances da China pré-moderna.", "ru": "Классические произведения и романы традиционного Китая.", "th": "วรรณกรรมและนวนิยายคลาสสิกของจีนก่อนยุคใหม่", "tr": "Modern öncesi Çin'in klasik eserleri ve romanları.", "vi": "Các tác phẩm và tiểu thuyết cổ điển của Trung Quốc tiền hiện đại.", "zh": "中国古代经典著作与小说。", "zh-hant": "中國古代經典著作與小說。" }, "count": 1077 }, { "id": "tag-four-great-classics", "slug": "four-great-classics", "name": "Four Great Classical Novels", "description": "Dream of the Red Chamber, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West, and their characters.", "names": { "ar": "الروايات الكلاسيكية الأربع العظيمة", "de": "Vier klassische Romane", "en": "Four Great Classical Novels", "es": "Cuatro grandes novelas clásicas", "fr": "Quatre grands romans classiques", "hi": "चार महान शास्त्रीय उपन्यास", "id": "Empat Novel Klasik Besar", "it": "Quattro grandi romanzi classici", "ja": "中国四大名著", "ko": "중국 4대 명저", "ms": "Empat Novel Klasik Agung", "nl": "Vier grote klassieke romans", "pt": "Quatro grandes romances clássicos", "ru": "Четыре классических романа", "th": "สี่สุดยอดวรรณกรรมคลาสสิก", "tr": "Dört Büyük Klasik Roman", "vi": "Tứ đại danh tác", "zh": "四大名著", "zh-hant": "四大名著" }, "descriptions": { "ar": "حلم المقصورة الحمراء، ورومانسية الممالك الثلاث، وعلى ضفاف الماء، ورحلة إلى الغرب وشخصياتها.", "de": "Der Traum der Roten Kammer, Die Geschichte der Drei Reiche, Die Räuber vom Liang-Schan-Moor, Die Reise nach Westen und ihre Figuren.", "en": "Dream of the Red Chamber, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West, and their characters.", "es": "Sueño en el pabellón rojo, Romance de los Tres Reinos, A la orilla del agua, Viaje al Oeste y sus personajes.", "fr": "Le Rêve dans le pavillon rouge, Les Trois Royaumes, Au bord de l'eau, La Pérégrination vers l'Ouest et leurs personnages.", "hi": "रेड चैंबर का सपना, तीन राज्यों का रोमांस, वॉटर मार्जिन, पश्चिम की यात्रा और उनके पात्र।", "id": "Impian Paviliun Merah, Kisah Tiga Negara, Batas Air, Perjalanan ke Barat, dan tokoh-tokohnya.", "it": "Il sogno della camera rossa, Il romanzo dei Tre Regni, I briganti, Il viaggio in Occidente e i loro personaggi.", "ja": "『紅楼夢』『三国志演義』『水滸伝』『西遊記』とその登場人物。", "ko": "《홍루몽》《삼국지연의》《수호전》《서유기》와 그 등장인물.", "ms": "Impian Bilik Merah, Kisah Tiga Kerajaan, Batas Air, Perjalanan ke Barat dan watak-wataknya.", "nl": "De droom van de rode kamer, De Drie Koninkrijken, De waterkant, De reis naar het westen en hun personages.", "pt": "O Sonho da Câmara Vermelha, Romance dos Três Reinos, À Beira d'Água, Jornada ao Oeste e seus personagens.", "ru": "«Сон в красном тереме», «Троецарствие», «Речные заводи», «Путешествие на Запад» и их персонажи.", "th": "ความฝันในหอแดง สามก๊ก ซ้องกั๋ง ไซอิ๋ว และตัวละครในเรื่อง", "tr": "Kızıl Köşkün Rüyası, Üç Krallık Romansı, Su Kenarı, Batıya Yolculuk ve karakterleri.", "vi": "Hồng lâu mộng, Tam quốc diễn nghĩa, Thủy hử, Tây du ký và các nhân vật.", "zh": "《红楼梦》《三国演义》《水浒传》《西游记》及其人物。", "zh-hant": "《紅樓夢》《三國演義》《水滸傳》《西遊記》及其人物。" }, "count": 572 } ], "relations": [ { "id": "relation_cnworks_depicts_q8265_q10788075", "fromId": "work_cn_q8265", "relationType": "depicts", "toId": "person_cn_q10788075", "sourceRefs": [ { "entityId": "work_cn_q8265", "sourceId": "wikidata" } ], "label": "Related works", "targetId": "work_cn_q8265", "targetTitle": "Dream of the Red Chamber", "targetUrl": "/en/works/dream-red-chamber.html", "incoming": true } ], "mentions": [ { "fromId": "work_cn_q8265", "fromTitle": "Dream of the Red Chamber", "fromUrl": "/en/works/dream-red-chamber.html", "fromType": "work" } ], "versions": [ { "revision": 13, "updatedAt": "2026-10-29T17:21:32+08:00", "message": "当前版本", "hasSnapshot": true, "url": "/en/people/li-wan/at/13.html" } ], "lang": "en", "availableLangs": [ "zh", "en" ], "infoFields": [ { "key": "is_fictional", "label": "Fictional", "value": "yes" }, { "key": "person_category", "label": "Person category", "value": "literary character" }, { "key": "disambiguation", "label": "Disambiguation", "value": "Character in Dream of the Red Chamber" } ], "relationsTotal": 1, "relationCounts": [ { "relationType": "depicts", "incoming": true, "label": "Related works", "total": 1 } ], "mentionsTotal": 1 }