| Gong'an fiction | |||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 公案小說 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 公案小说 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | court-case fiction | ||||||
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Gong'an or crime-case fiction (Chinese: 公案小说) is a subgenre of Chinese crime fiction involving government magistrates who solve criminal cases. Gong'an fiction first appeared in the colloquial stories of Song dynasty. Gong'an fiction was then developed and become one of the most popular fiction styles in Ming and Qing dynasties. The Judge Dee and Judge Bao stories are the best known examples of the genre.