Background: The strain theory of suicide was tested with the suicide cases in contemporary China.No efforts have been made to test this theoretical approach using suicide cases in ancient China.Methods: The stories of the suicide cases were collected from the novel A Dream of Red Mansions and recomposed from pieces of information.The strain theory of suicide was used to analyze each case of suicide and identify the sources of strain that lead to suicide.Results: There were altogether 11 suicide cases found in A Dream of Red Mansions.The sources of the strain preceding the suicides included (1) discrepancy between aspiration and reality, (2) relative deprivation, and (3) deficient coping skills in front of a crisis.The value strain from conflicting values was not found among these suicide cases.Conclusion: During the historical period depicted in A Dream of Red Mansions, suicides were often involved in different sources of strain and their deaths were likely to be a result of psychological frustration caused by these strains.The strain theory of suicide is a promising perspective that can be used to analyze the suicide cases in ancient China.