Bai Suzhen[a] is the main character of the Chinese folk tale Tale of the White Snake. [b] The tale, dating back thousands of years, has numerous variations.
Bai Suzhen, along with her best friend Xiaoqing,[c] were originally white and blue-green snakes, respectively, before transforming into humans and travelling to Hangzhou.[d] There, they meet Xu Xian,[e] of whom Bai Suzhen falls in love with at first sight. A relationship begins, with them getting married and Bai getting pregnant. but she inadvertently shows her true form, causing Xu Xian to die of shock. Travelling to Mount Kunlun[f] to find a remedy to bring him back to life, she revives him, only to find he stil fears her. Xu Xian travels to Jinshan Temple,[g] where he is imprisoned by Fahai[h] for his own protection. Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing then go to the temple to free him, wherein Xu Xian realises the love is genuine. Despite escaping and bearing the child, named Xu Shilin,[i] Fahai eventually tracks Bai down, imprisoning her beneath Leifeng Pagoda.[j][1][2]
The heroine of the Chinese tale of a white snake. She appears as a human.
She was originally portrayed as an atrocious monster who charmed and ate young men, but was later depicted as a sad girl who falls in love with a human and is tormented by the difference in their natures.
The heroine of the Chinese tale of the white snake. She appears as a human.
She was originally portrayed as an atrocious monster who charmed and ate young men, but was later depicted as a sad girl who falls in love with a human and is tormented by the difference in their natures.
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