The Legend of the White Snake

白蛇传

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Synopsis

The Legend of the White Snake is one of China's four great folk tales, originating from the Tang Dynasty. It tells the love story between the snake demon Bai Suzhen and the mortal Xu Xian. Key plot points include boating on the lake and borrowing an umbrella, revealing her true form during the Dragon Boat Festival, stealing the magical herb, flooding the Jinshan Temple, and being suppressed under Leifeng Pagoda. The story took its initial definitive form in Feng Menglong's "Stories to Caution the World" from the Ming Dynasty. The main settings are West Lake in Hangzhou and Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang. In 2006, it was listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Legend of the White Snake has been adapted into countless operas, films, and television productions.

Overview

The Legend of the White Snake is one of China's Four Great Folktales (alongside The Butterfly Lovers, Lady Meng Jiang, and The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid). It tells the poignant love story between Bai Suzhen, a thousand-year-old snake spirit, and Xu Xian, a mortal man. The story originated in the Tang Dynasty and, through continuous refinement by folk artists and literati over the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, eventually evolved into the widely known version we have today. The core theme of the legend is whether sincere love that transcends species can overcome worldly prejudice and orthodox order.

The Legend of the White Snake is not just a love story; it is also a fable about freedom and confinement, humanity and rules, love and power. Although Bai Suzhen is a snake spirit, she is kinder, more affectionate, and braver than many humans. Although Fahai is an accomplished Buddhist monk, he represents a cold, rigid order and the exclusion of the "other." For generations, audiences have been moved by Lady Bai's deep love and angered by Fahai's stubbornness—this emotional resonance is the fundamental reason for the tale's enduring popularity over a millennium.

Historical Evolution

Period	Development
Tang Dynasty	The story of Li Huang encountering the lady in white from Zheng Huanggu's Records of the Strange, considered the earliest origin.
Song & Yuan Dynasties	Story outlines appear in storytelling scripts like The Tale of the Three Pagodas of West Lake.
Ming Dynasty	Feng Menglong's Stories to Caution the World includes Madame White is Imprisoned Forever Under Leifeng Pagoda, giving the story its initial definitive form.
Qing Dynasty	The story matures and becomes popular through opera scripts like The Legend of Leifeng Pagoda.
Modern Era	Continuous adaptations in various operas, films, and TV series.
2006	The Legend of the White Snake was listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The evolution of the Legend of the White Snake spans over a thousand years. In the earliest Tang Dynasty version, the white snake was a malevolent spirit—the lady in white seduced men and then killed them. However, over time, the image of the white snake gradually transformed—from a harmful demon into a lovesick woman. By Feng Menglong's Ming Dynasty version, Madame White had become a figure who, though non-human, was deeply affectionate and kind. This transformation reflects the deepening understanding of humanity in Chinese folk literature.

Core Plot

Plot Point	Description
Meeting by the Lake & Borrowing the Umbrella	Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing are caught in rain while touring West Lake; Xu Xian lends them his umbrella, beginning their fateful connection.
Marriage	Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian marry and open the Baohetang pharmacy in Hangzhou, practicing medicine to help the people.
Revealing True Form on Dragon Boat Festival	Bai Suzhen drinks realgar wine during the Dragon Boat Festival, reveals her serpent form, and scares Xu Xian to death.
Stealing the Magical Herb	Bai Suzhen risks her life to steal the magical Lingzhi herb to revive Xu Xian.
Flooding Jinshan Temple	To rescue Xu Xian, Bai Suzhen battles Fahai, summoning the waters of West Lake to flood Jinshan Temple.
Imprisonment Under Leifeng Pagoda	Fahai imprisons Bai Suzhen under Leifeng Pagoda, separating mother and child.
Pagoda's Fall & Reunion	Years later, Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen's son, Xu Mengjiao, tops the imperial exams, offers sacrifices at the pagoda, and rescues his mother.

"Meeting by the Lake & Borrowing the Umbrella" is the most romantic scene in the legend. Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing transform into two beautiful women touring West Lake when a sudden downpour occurs. The scholar Xu Xian passes by and lends his umbrella to Bai Suzhen. The moment their eyes meet, Bai Suzhen feels an emotion she has never experienced in her thousand years of life—love. The Broken Bridge on West Lake in Hangzhou has thus become one of China's most famous romantic landmarks.

"Flooding Jinshan Temple" is the most intense scene. Fahai detains Xu Xian in Jinshan Temple. Bai Suzhen goes to demand his release but is refused. In her fury, Bai Suzhen uses her magic to summon the waters of West Lake to flood the temple. This direct confrontation between human and spirit symbolizes the ultimate conflict between personal emotion and orthodox order. Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang remains an important cultural landmark associated with this story.

Cultural Impact

Field	Works
Opera	Peking Opera The Legend of the White Snake, Yue Opera The Legend of the White Snake
Film	1993 Tsui Hark's Green Snake, 2019 The Legend of the White Snake
Animation	2019 White Snake, 2021 Green Snake
TV Series	1992 New Legend of Madame White Snake (the Zhao Yazhi version is the most classic)
Literature	Various novels, storytelling scripts, and pingshu versions from different eras

The 1992 TV series New Legend of Madame White Snake is the most classic film/TV adaptation. Zhao Yazhi's portrayal of Bai Suzhen as gentle, beautiful, and profoundly loving became the standard image of Madame White in the hearts of generations of Chinese. Cecilia Yip's cross-gender performance as Xu Xian was refined and scholarly. The series' theme song, "Waiting for a Thousand Years," remains a classic melody familiar to Chinese people today.

Hangzhou's West Lake and the Legend

Hangzhou's West Lake is the primary stage for the Legend of the White Snake. The Broken Bridge is where Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen first met, and Leifeng Pagoda is where Bai Suzhen was imprisoned. The original Leifeng Pagoda was built in 977 AD, collapsed in 1924, and was rebuilt in 2002. The current Leifeng Pagoda is a modern scenic structure showcasing the cultural heritage of the Legend of the White Snake.