Legend OF The White Snake

Legend of the White Snake (simplified Chinese: traditional Chinese: ) is a Chinese legend, which existed as oral traditions before any written compilation. It has since become a major subject of several Chinese opera, films and TV series.

The earliest attempt to fictionalize the story appears to be “Madame White Snake Jailed Eternally in the Leifeng Pagoda”in Jing Shi Tong Yan by Feng Menglong during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644).

Adaptation Legend OF The White Snake

1. The story has been performed numerous times in Peking opera, Cantonese opera and other Chinese operas.
2. The Legend of the White Serpent (1956 film) (Byaku fujin no yoren), Japanese film made by Toho in collaboration with the Shaw Brothers.
3. The Tale of the White Serpent (1958), the first coloured anime feature film in Japan, released in the United States as Panda and the Magic Serpent.
4. Madam White Snake (1962 film), also from Shaw Brothers. This version is a huangmeixi opera. Feng Yueh directed. The music is by Fu-ling Wang on a libretto by Chun-ching Li.
5. In the West there have been children’s picture book adaptations of the legend, written by Western authors and illustrated by Chinese artists, including:

   Legend of the White Serpent by A. Fullarton Prior, illustrated by Kwan Sang-Mei

   and Lady White Snake: A Tale From Chinese Opera, by Aaron Shepard, illustrated by Song Nang Zhang

6. The novella The Devil Wives of Li Fong by E. Hoffmann Price is based on the story.
7. Stage musical adaptations in Hong Kong include:

   Pai Niang Niang created by Joseph Koo and Wong Jim premiered in 1972 and marked the start of musical theatre industry in Hong Kong

   White Snake, Green Snake in 2005 created by Christopher Wong

   The Legend of the White Snake created by Leon Ko and Chris Shum

8. Green Snake, a 1993 movie directed by Tsui Hark, told the story from the point of view of green snake Qingqing.
9. Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan performed a modern dance interpretation of Madam White Snake in the early mid-1970s.
10. New Legend of Madame White Snake (新白娘子传奇), a 1993 Taiwanese TV series, is the most accepted, popular and thought classic edition in China Mainland. It starred Angie Chiu, Cecilia Yip and Maggie Chen (陈美琪). Later aired in the Philippines called “Lady White Snake” (1997-1998) , ABS-CBN2(2002-2003), ABC 5(2001-2002)
11. n 2001, a TV drama series Madam White Snake starring Fann Wong, further modified the plot.
12. Actresses such as Yoshiko Otaka, Yu So Chow, Lin Dai and Joey Wong had been involved in various movie adaptations of the story.
13. In 2006 a drama series Legend of White Snake.
14. In 2010, an opera based on the legend, Madame White Snake, with music by Zhou Long and a libretto by Cerise Lim Jacobs, premiered in a production by Opera Boston.