The White Snake story is a very old Chinese fairytale. It was originally passed down by mouth as a "Wooden Fish Song" in market places, sung by blind singers. Then it was written down in different versions by generations of folktale writers.

This story occurred several thousand years ago, at Hangzhou, in Southern China. It told of a snake's love for a mortal man; a son's love for his mother; and vengeance from a relentless enemy. Of necessity, due to limited space, the story on this site is a condensed version.