January
30
/ 2017
The Legend of the White Snake (known also as ’Madame White Snake’) is a well-known legend from China. This fascinating tale is said to have been originally transmitted orally before being transformed into a famous piece of literature. The earliest attempt to have the story written down is said to have been made during the Ming Dynasty by Feng Meng Long in his work ‘Jing Shi Tong Yan’ (translated as ‘Stories to Caution the World’). In this collection of folktales, the story of the White Snake is entitled Bai Niang Zi Yong Zhen Lei Feng Ta (‘The White Maiden Locked for Eternity in the Leifeng Pagoda’). The tale has since been adapted into a number of Chinese operas, television series
