Legend of the White Snake

Legend says that a white snake spirit, after centuries of cultivating magic, took human form as Bai Suzhen and came to West Lake with her companion Xiaoqing, “Little Green”. Caught in the rain near the Broken Bridge, she met the young herbalist Xu Xian, who lent her his umbrella, and the two married. The monk Fahai saw what she really was, tried to part them, and in the end sealed her beneath Leifeng Pagoda. The tale grew over centuries: the first full written version appeared in a Ming collection by Feng Menglong in 1624, and later operas turned the White Lady from a dangerous serpent into a loyal, loving wife. It is counted among China’s four great folk legends and is still retold in Peking opera, Yue opera, films and television.