Forbidden Love myths and legends

Search by title and refine by origin, characters, tags, and sort order.

Bai Suzhen Imprisoned Beneath the Leifeng Pagoda Until the Lake Dries Up

🐉 Chinese MythologyLeifeng Pagoda, Hangzhou, ChinaBai Suzhen • Xu Xian • Xiaoqing

The Legend of the White Snake tells the story of Bai Suzhen, a snake spirit who transforms into a human and marries a kind physician named Xu Xian. Their love is challenged by the monk Fahai, who views their union as unnatural and eventually traps Bai Suzhen under the Leifeng Pagoda. The story concludes with the eventual liberation of Bai Suzhen through the filial piety and scholarly success...

The Monk Fahai Kidnapping Xu Xian and Hiding Him in the Jinshan Temple

🐉 Chinese MythologyJinshan Temple, Zhenjiang, ChinaXu Xian • Bai Suzhen • Fahai

Driven by a rigid belief that spirits and humans must never coexist, the powerful Buddhist monk Fahai abducts the young scholar Xu Xian and imprisons him within the Jinshan Temple. This act of spiritual interference forces Xu Xian's wife, the White Snake spirit Bai Suzhen, to wage a catastrophic war against the monastery. The ensuing battle between divine Buddhist magic and the elemental...

Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing Fiercely Summoning a Massive Flood to Drown Jinshan Temple

🐉 Chinese MythologyJinshan Temple, Zhenjiang, ChinaBai Suzhen (Lady White Snake) • Xiaoqing (Green Snake) • Xu Xian

This myth details the climactic battle where the white snake spirit Bai Suzhen and her sister Xiaoqing summon the Yangtze River to flood Jinshan Temple. Driven by love and desperation, they attempt to rescue Bai's husband, Xu Xian, who was imprisoned by the dogmatic monk Fahai. The event is a central tragedy in the Legend of the White Snake, illustrating the clash between spiritual law and...

Fahai Trapping Bai Suzhen in His Magical Alms Bowl After She Gives Birth

🐉 Chinese MythologyLeifeng Pagoda, Hangzhou, ChinaBai Suzhen • Xu Xian • Fahai

The monk Fahai, seeking to preserve the boundary between the mortal and spirit worlds, captures the white snake spirit Bai Suzhen using a magical golden alms bowl. This final confrontation occurs shortly after Bai Suzhen gives birth to her human son, leading to her long imprisonment beneath the Leifeng Pagoda. It is the tragic climax of a story that pits forbidden love against the rigid laws...