List of the Four Major Classical Novels of Chinese Literature

Row #	Title	Image	Description
1	Water Margin		Water Margin (Shui Hu Zhuan, or Shui Hu) is set in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It is about a group of 108 outlaws, who form a sizable army, before they are eventually granted an amnesty by the government and then sent on campaigns to defend China from foreign invaders and also to suppress rebel forces. There is uncertainty over who wrote Water Margin. Many scholars believe that Shi Nai'an (1296–1372) wrote most of it, however some believe that some (if not all) of the novel (especially the later chapters) was written and/or edited by Luo Guanzhong, Shi Hui, and/or Guo Xun. Water Margin is also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, Tale of the Marshes, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, and The Marshes of Mount Liang.
2	Romance of the Three Kingdoms		Romance of the Three Kingdoms is set in China near the end of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) and during the Three Kingdoms era (220-280 AD). Romance of the Three Kingdoms was written by Luo Guanzhong (c. 1330-1400).
3	Journey to the West		Journey to the West (also known in the English speaking countries as Monkey) is believed to have been written in the 16th century (during the the time of the Ming Dynasty) by Wu Cheng'en. The story is a fictionalised account of the legendary pilgrimage to India by Xuanzang, a Buddhist monk.
4	Dream of the Red Chamber		Dream of the Red Chamber is set and was written in the 18th century (during the time of the Qing Dynasty) by Cao Xueqin. The story is about two branches of the aristocratic Jia clan (Rongguo House and Ningguo House), that live in adjacent compounds in the capital city.

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