The album cover of a vinyl version of the soundtrack of the TV series. [Photo Provided to China Daily]

"Jia Baoyu was the only role I played in my career and, fortunately, audiences remember me for it," Ouyang says.

He even underwent chin reconstruction to look more like the Jia Baoyu depicted in the novel.

Ouyang says the success was a double-edged sword.

"Even though I have directed many TV series myself since, it is for my role as Jia Baoyu that I am remembered."

Li Yaozong, 65, who filmed the series, and who was present at auditions, says: "Of course, though Cao graphically described the main characters in his novel, nobody could say exactly how they looked. It was just a feeling, and that was very hard to capture.

"The actor for each of the leading roles was chosen by a panel, such as the director and scriptwriter. That's why it took such a long time to finally decide on each one."

As for the training, all the actors learned calligraphy, read traditional Chinese poems and studied the novel of Dream of the Red Chamber under the guidance of experts.

Liu Qing, 23, was introduced to the novel by her aunt when she was 6, but did not quite understand the novel until she read it again in middle school, she says.