The Chinese Gold Murders is a gong'an historical mystery novel written by Robert van Gulik and set in Imperial China (roughly speaking the Tang dynasty).

It is a fiction based on the real character of Judge Dee (Ti Jen-chieh or Di Renjie), a magistrate and statesman of the Tang court, who lived roughly 630–700.

On the way to town, he meet two ruffians in the woods; Chiao Tai and Ma Joong.

The investigation is made more complex by the disappearance of his chief clerk and that of the new bride of a wealthy local shipowner.

Meanwhile, a tiger is terrorizing the district, the ghost of the murdered magistrate is stalking members of the court, a prostitute has a secret message for Judge Dee, the body of a murdered monk is found to have been placed in the wrong grave, and there is a serious rumor of smuggling of weapons to Korea.