Jia Baoyu
| Jia Baoyu (贾宝玉) | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jia Baoyu (贾宝玉) |
| Residence | Yihong house (怡红院) of Da Guanyuan (大观园) |
| Other names | Pao Yu (宝玉) |
| Known for | A magical jade in his mouth and the love between Lin Daiyu and him |
| Spouse(s) | Xue Baochai |
| Parent(s) | Jia Zheng (father) Madam Wang (mother) |
| Relatives | Jia Zhu (elder brother) Jia Yuanchun (elder sister) Jia Huan (younger half-brother) Jia Tanchun (younger half-sister) Lin Daiyu (cousin by paternal aunt) Hua Xiren (unofficial concubine) |
Jia Baoyu (traditional Chinese: 賈寶玉; simplified Chinese: 贾宝玉; pinyin: Jiǎ Bǎoyù; literally: "Precious Jade", and his surname is a homophone with "false" or "fictitious") is the principal character in the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber.
The first chapter describes how one piece of stone was left over from when the Wall of Heaven was repaired by the Goddess Nüwa. That stone, changed into a piece of luminous jade, is given a chance to learn the emptiness of human existence by following another incarnation who is to be Jia Baoyu. Baoyu is thus born with a magical piece of jade in his mouth. His name, which literally means "precious jade", was given him in honor of this. The jade and Baoyu share a mystical link, and the Cheng-Gao version ends after the jade is lost for good and Baoyu himself disappears.
Baoyu is portrayed as having little interest in learning the Confucian classics, much to the despair of his father, Jia Zheng. He would rather spend his time reading or writing poetry and playing with his numerous female relations. He is nonetheless compassionate and thoughtful (perhaps as a juxtaposition onto the other male characters in the novel).
Baoyu's romance with Lin Daiyu forms one of the novel's main plot lines. However, there are several women that plays an important part in his life. In particular, he is a darling of his grandmother, who dotes on him and occasionally shields him from his father. His wife Xue Baochai and his principal maids are also worthy of note. The crater Pao-yu on asteroid 433 Eros was named after him.
Interestingly, there is another Baoyu in the novel, a minor character with the surname of "Zhen" (甄), a homophone for "truth" or "real". Zhen Baoyu shares many of Jia Baoyu's characteristics, living in a wealthy clan with many attendants and cousins, although he lives in Jinling (now Nanjing) rather than in the capital.
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Wikipedia