One of the most famous Chinese folk tales is the “Legend of the White Snake.” Although early versions of the myth date back ...

By relocating the story to Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, then known as Lin'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), Feng's narrative follows Xu Xuan, a handsome but impoverished man.

"You're outside with a boa constrictor stuck to your face?" The terrified woman explained that the 5ft 5in (1.6m) snake had wrapped itself around her and bitten her nose. She said she had "rescued ...

These early versions of the legend portrayed snakes, representing beautiful women ... perspective of the white snake, and in the 19th century, the term "righteous demon" was used to describe ...