Gong'an fiction

Gong'an fiction
An actor portraying Bao Zheng reviewing a criminal case in Kaifeng Tribunal (開封府)
Traditional Chinese	公案小說
Simplified Chinese	公案小说
Literal meaning	court-case fiction
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin gōng'àn xiǎoshuō

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 the Song dynasty. Gong'an fiction developed into one of the most popular genres of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Judge Dee and Judge Bao stories are the best known examples of the genre.