COLLECTION

Chinese Folklore

Stories connected by a shared idea.

2 stories

ChinaMonsters & beings

The Legend of the White Snake: Lady White and Leifeng Pagoda

A white snake takes a woman's form, marries a young man of Hangzhou and is shut under Leifeng Pagoda by the monk Fahai. In the oldest full telling, from 1624, she is a demon and the tale a warning; the loving wife and mother were made on the Qing stage.

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ChinaOrigins & creation

The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl: Qixi, Tanabata and Ngưu Lang Chức Nữ

Two stars face each other across the Milky Way, and once a year, on the seventh night of the seventh month, the Weaver crosses to the Cowherd. In the oldest full telling it was the Lord of Heaven who married them, and he parted them only because she stopped weaving.

Read story 10 min read