The Twelve Beauties of Jinling
The "Twelve Beauties of Jinling" (Jinling shi'er chai) appear in Chapter 5 of Dream of the Red Chamber, in the Land of Illusion, where Cao Xueqin sets down a register of the novel's twelve principal women—each with a verdict and song foretelling her fate. The Main Register holds Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai, Jia Yuanchun, Jia Tanchun, Shi Xiangyun, Miaoyu, Jia Yingchun, Jia Xichun, Wang Xifeng, Qiaojie, Li Wan and Qin Keqing; a Secondary and a Third Register follow. This page gathers the roster, register, family and a relationship-graph entry to trace each fate.
The Main Register (Twelve Beauties)
Lin Daiyu
Family: 林家
Xue Baochai
Family: 薛家
Jia Yuanchun
Family: 贾家
Jia Tanchun
Family: 贾家
Shi Xiangyun
Family: 史家
Miaoyu
Family: 外部
Jia Yingchun
Family: 贾家
Jia Xichun
Family: 贾家
Wang Xifeng
Family: 王家
Qiaojie
Family: 贾家
Li Wan
Family: 贾家
Qin Keqing
Family: 外部
Secondary & Third Registers
Beyond the twelve of the Main Register, the Land of Illusion holds a Secondary and a Third Register for women such as Xiangling, Qingwen and Xiren—each tied to a verdict of her own.
