Legend of the White Snake

The Legend of the White Snake (Chinese: 白蛇傳; pinyin: Báishézhuàn) is a Chinese legend centered around a romance between a man named Xu Xian and a female snake spirit named Bai Suzhen. It is counted as one of China's Four Great Folktales, the others being Lady Meng Jiang, Butterfly Lovers, and The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl (or occasionally The Tale of Liu Yi or The Marriage of the Fairy Princess). The story has evolved and changed over different eras and regions to suit the preferences of the populace and rulers, serving as subject matter for novels, operas, and other media.