The Legend of the White Snake

The Legend of the White Snake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, is a shining pearl in Chinese folk literature. The characters such as the White Snake (the White Lady), Xu Xian, Fa Hai and Xiaoqing that are portrayed in the legend express the people's longing for human liberation, and are the precious spiritual and cultural heritage of the Chinese nation. The large number of ancient traditional customs preserved in the legend make the Legend of the White Snake one of the most abundant oral heritages of folk culture in China.

The Legend of the White Snake (白蛇传传说), also known as the Legend of the White Lady, the Legend of Leifeng Pagoda, etc. is one of the Four Folk Legends of China. It tells the love story of Bai Suzhen, a white snake-transformed girl and Xu Xian, a business associate in a pharmacy. The legend originated in the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, took form in Hangzhou during the Southern Song Dynasty and was compiled to Zaju (杂剧: a poetic drama set to music that flourished in the Yuan Dynasty) and Huaben (话本: script for storytelling in Song and Yuan folk literature) in the Yuan Dynasty at the latest. "The White Snake Imprisoned in Leifeng Pagoda for Eternity (白娘子永镇雷峰塔)" by Feng Menglong from the Ming Dynasty was the earliest relatively complete version of the legend.

In 2006, it was inscribed on the Representative List of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage.