The global search for a cast to portray the main characters in a new TV version of A Dream of Red Mansions is near the close of its first phase. Winners of local TV contests have been picked up, and they will attend a final audition later this year. The new series is planned to air around the time of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

But the method of choosing the winners-American Idol-style tryouts-has led to a controversy over the "commercialization" of the selection process, which some people feel violates the spirit of this Chinese literary masterpiece.

Red Mansions is a celebrated novel written by Cao Xueqin of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), which has a deeper historical and social background than just teenage love. An outstanding achievement of the novel is that it successfully presents a heart-stirring tragedy: of society, the times and human life. During the last 200 years, the novel has enthralled countless readers. It is the most popular of all ancient Chinese novels and is also a well-known masterpiece in world literature.

The novel has been adapted to various forms of art, but the TV series shot in the 1980s (aired in 1987) has been considered an authentic interpretation of the novel, which other versions produced in the following years, whether for stage or screen, could not surpass. The cast of the 1987 version left deep impressions on the audience and was thought to fully represent the characters of the novel. It is estimated that the 1987 version has been shown over 700 times by various TV stations throughout China.

The production of the 1987 version involved the entire nation. Dozens of experts on Red Mansions participated in writing the script, and the actors and actresses selected from all across the country were assembled to learn about the novel and develop other skills, such as music, calligraphy and painting that members of wealthy families in ancient times usually commanded.

Most literature lovers and Red Mansions researchers worry that the new TV series may ruin the nature of the masterpiece, due to the introduction of a commercial element, namely that the auditions were held on TV.

It is reported that the number of people who signed up for auditions hit 60,000 in the first week of registration.

Regarding the concern of the public and the passion of young people who participated in the cast selection, Zhang Qingshan, a veteran expert on Red Mansions, maintains that it stems from the fascination of the novel itself. Zhang thinks no other literary work in China has this supreme status.

Zhang suggests that the director seriously choose the cast members and not consider the popularity of candidates. "We should consider whether the temperament of the players is suitable to the characters of the novel," he said.

Zhang prefers using non-professional or unknown actors and actresses to take leading roles in the new TV series. In his view, unskilled players are naïve and simple, which is close to the nature of the main characters of the novel.

Appealing to a new audience

More broadly, Zhang calls for reverence of literary masterpieces such as Red Mansions. "We should respect the cultural heritage of our ancestors, like the British respect William Shakespeare and Russians revere Leo Tolstoy," he said.

Regarding the controversial selection process of the leading cast and the quality of the contestants, Han Sanping, chief producer of the new series, said, "I don't deny the commercial aim of the selection program, but the positive significance that the selection has caused should not be downplayed. It makes people, especially the young generation, pay more attention to China's ancient literature and culture."

"As for the quality of the contestants," Han added, "I am sure that they are better than those 20 years ago."

He added that his daughter, who could not tell the names of the main characters of the novel three years ago, is now reading the novel every day with great interest. "That is the effect of the global selection program," he noted.

According to Han, the shooting of the 1987 version of Red Mansions cost only 6.8 million yuan, but the investment in the new version is 100 million yuan, which will mostly be used in the production process.

"Besides this," he said, "the new version will fully exhibit the spinning art, food and medical culture of the Chinese nation, and the poetry and music in the novel will also be well presented."

An online survey by sina.com, a major portal in China, shows that most respondents believe remaking Red Mansions is reasonable. Despite the questioning voices among the public, most feedbacks agree that remaking classic TV shows will help the young generation know and remember the masterpieces of history. They hold that the classics can be immortal, but entertainers can become outdated and even forgotten. Young people need to become familiar with the classics through faces in their own times.

Most supporters compare Shakespeare's Hamlet with Cao's Red Mansions. They note that Hamlet has been redone many times, with different versions encountering different audiences in different countries. They have made generations of young audiences come to know this enduring masterpiece, and Red Mansions will not be an exception.

An anonymous blogger said Cao's novel is open to different understandings and presentations, and no one can be the definitive interpreter of the novel.

Despite the challenges and pressure, the new version of Red Mansions is highly anticipated. Its heavyweight production team may be a guarantee of its quality. Hu Mei, a celebrated mainland director, whose works include acclaimed TV series such as Emperor Yongzheng, Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty and Qiao Family's Mansion, will supervise the production process, in cooperation with Oscar-winning composer Tan Dun, well-known Japanese costume designer Emi Wada and top cameraman Chi Xiaoning.