Madam White Snake (TV series)

Lore & Background

The serial is based on the legendary folk tale Madame White Snake, involving a snake spirit and her male human lover. This version adapts the story to include a black snake who serves as the snake spirit's mentor, and the White Snake Spirit is trapped under a pagoda for 20 years, unlike the original tale where she was trapped for centuries. The Green Snake is imprisoned by the White Snake for a few hours, whereas in the original she was imprisoned for three centuries. Xu Xian is initially a good-for-nothing who, under the white snake's guidance, becomes an official.

Reader's Guide

Madam White Snake attained high viewership ratings in Taiwan and China, and also broadcast in Indonesia on Indosiar. The series is notable for its pan-Asian cast and its exploration of the politics of revenge through comic and tragic means, as executed in a well-written script. The adaptation introduced significant changes to the original folk tale, such as shortening the imprisonment periods of the White Snake and Green Snake, and altering Xu Xian's character arc. Its filming in Hengdian City provided a distinctive backdrop. The series remains a reference point for adaptations of the Madame White Snake legend in the wuxia genre.

Did You Know?

• The series was jointly produced by MediaCorp (Singapore) and Taiwanese producer Young Pei-pei's Workshop.
• It stars celebrity couple Fann Wong and Christopher Lee, along with Taiwanese actors Zhang Yuyan and Vincent Chiao.
• In this version, the White Snake Spirit is trapped under the pagoda for 20 years, not centuries as in the original tale.
• The Green Snake is imprisoned by the White Snake for only a few hours, unlike the original three centuries.