# The Legend of White Snake (新白娘子传奇)
**The Legend of White Snake** (新白娘子传奇, also romanized as *Xin Bai Niang Zi Chuan Qi* and translated *New Legend of Madame White Snake*) is a 50-episode Taiwanese costume fantasy musical drama produced by Taiwan Television (TTV) in 1992, adapted from the folk legend of the White Snake and starring Angie Chiu as the snake spirit Bai Suzhen and Cecilia Yip as the scholar Xu Xian[1](https://thetvdb.com/series/new-legend-of-madame-white-snake) • [2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-legend-of-white-snake-1992). [China Daily](https://www.edgepedia.org/china-daily) has called it one of the most influential adaptations of the legend, and in mainland China it has been described as the most frequently rerun Hong Kong or Taiwanese television drama[3](https://www.ehangzhou.gov.cn/2025-01/26/c_292474_3.htm) • [4](https://www.sohu.com/a/305692299_450343).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original run | November 5, 1992 to January 13, 1993, TTV eight-o'clock slot, 50 episodes[1](https://thetvdb.com/series/new-legend-of-madame-white-snake) |
| Lead cast | Angie Chiu (赵雅芝) as Bai Suzhen and Hu Meiniang; Cecilia Yip (叶童) as Xu Xian and his son Xu Shilin; Chen Meiqi (陈美琪) as Xiaoqing[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-legend-of-white-snake-1992) |
| Source texts | Adapted from the novella *Leifeng Ta Chuanqi* by Yushan Zhuren and the novel *Bai She Quan Zhuan* by Menghuaguanzhu[5](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_zzys1xc67p.html) |
| Music | "New Huangmei tune" sung passages composed by Zuo Hongyuan; theme song "Qiannian Deng Yi Hui" (千年等一回), closing song "Du Qing" (渡情)[5](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_zzys1xc67p.html) • [6](https://11151115.com/xinbai/) |
| Mainland broadcast | Introduced to mainland China in 1993 on CCTV; 2004 reruns on CCTV-1 and CCTV-8 each won that channel's annual ratings championship[7](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%B0%E7%99%BD%E5%A8%98%E5%AD%90%E4%BC%A0%E5%A5%87/419470) |
| Audience rating | Douban 9.1/10 from 202,944 users as of May 7, 2024[7](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%B0%E7%99%BD%E5%A8%98%E5%AD%90%E4%BC%A0%E5%A5%87/419470) |
| Restoration | A 4K restored version began airing on Dragon TV's 4K ultra-high-definition channel on September 28, 2025[8](https://www.opg.cn/cn/newsCenter/newsInfo/1972212678838677504.html) |
## Spoilers
### Story and musical form
The plot follows the folk legend: the white snake Bai Suzhen, repaying a past-life debt to a shepherd boy who saved her, takes human form and marries the scholar Xu Xian at [West Lake](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-lake)'s Broken Bridge; the monk Fahai exposes her nature, Xu Xian is detained at Jinshan Temple, and the pregnant Bai Suzhen floods the temple to rescue him; she is later imprisoned under Leifeng Pagoda, and her son [Xu Shilin](https://www.edgepedia.org/xu-shilin), after winning first place in the imperial examination, frees her and the family reunites[6](https://11151115.com/xinbai/) • [11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wExj-JQAgiE).
The series' distinctive device is its sung dialogue: characters sing passages of plot and inner monologue in a style the makers called the "new Huangmei tune" (新黄梅调), composed by the Taiwanese music producer Zuo Hongyuan (左宏元). A fan archive counts 12 songs and 103 sung passages across the series[6](https://11151115.com/xinbai/), and iQiyi's official description states that nearly every episode contains such passages, making the show a musical serial[5](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_zzys1xc67p.html). The melodies drew on Huangmei opera, Yue opera, and folk tunes rather than orthodox Huangmei opera[12](https://www.tcpc.org.cn/20449.html); the Hong Kong oral history notes that the light, catchy singing style spread among mainland audiences, who could all hum it[10](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/18995340/19057030/Oral%2BHistory%2BSeries_chi07_ebook.pdf). The theme song "Qiannian Deng Yi Hui" ("Waiting a Thousand Years") became an enduring hit[8](https://www.opg.cn/cn/newsCenter/newsInfo/1972212678838677504.html).
## Production
In March 1992, Taiwan Television selected *The Legend of White Snake* from a set of proposals as its year-end flagship drama, passing over projects such as *The Butterfly Lovers* and *Water Margin* because their subjects offered less room for novelty[7](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%B0%E7%99%BD%E5%A8%98%E5%AD%90%E4%BC%A0%E5%A5%87/419470). Producer Cao Jingde (曹景德) engaged Xia Zuhui (夏祖辉) as director and Gong Min (贡敏) as lead writer; the credited writing team ultimately included six names, Gong Min, Zhao Wenchuan, Fang Guilan, He Jiping, Xia Zuhui, and [He Qi](https://www.edgepedia.org/he-qi), and the 50-plus-episode script was written in succession by five writers, which later critics link to uneven characterization and plot logic in places[7](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%B0%E7%99%BD%E5%A8%98%E5%AD%90%E4%BC%A0%E5%A5%87/419470) • [9](https://k.sina.cn/article_6524158272_184dec14000100ht56.html?from=ent&subch=tv).
The production was a Taiwan-mainland-Hong Kong cooperation. According to an oral history in the Hong Kong Film Archive series, Cao Jingde recruited a Hong Kong crew to shoot on location at West Lake in Hangzhou, Jinshan Temple, and other mainland sites, the first Taiwanese television crew to film in the mainland; the crew drew crowds in Hangzhou and Suzhou[10](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/18995340/19057030/Oral%2BHistory%2BSeries_chi07_ebook.pdf). The same account records that the series was offered to Beijing's CCTV at US$1,000 per episode, effectively a token price, and that CCTV hesitated because it was a Taiwanese production, so it was sold to Beijing Television instead[10](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/18995340/19057030/Oral%2BHistory%2BSeries_chi07_ebook.pdf). Filming locations also included Nanjing, Taipei, Hangzhou, Zhenjiang, and Suzhou[7](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%B0%E7%99%BD%E5%A8%98%E5%AD%90%E4%BC%A0%E5%A5%87/419470).
Cecilia Yip, an actress, played both Xu Xian and, in the later episodes, his son Xu Shilin, a cross-dressed double role that became one of the series' signatures[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-legend-of-white-snake-1992). Angie Chiu likewise played two parts, Bai Suzhen and the white-rabbit spirit Hu Meiniang[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-legend-of-white-snake-1992).
## Broadcast history and reruns
The series premiered on TTV's eight-o'clock slot on November 5, 1992 and ran to January 13, 1993[1](https://thetvdb.com/series/new-legend-of-madame-white-snake); one Chinese reference gives the premiere date as November 15, 1992, with a rating of 30 percent[7](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%B0%E7%99%BD%E5%A8%98%E5%AD%90%E4%BC%A0%E5%A5%87/419470). It was introduced to mainland China on February 1, 1993, aired on CCTV, and won that year's ratings championship; it was later exported to Japan, Vietnam, and other countries[13](https://baike.sogou.com/m/fullLemma?lid=148655692) • [7](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%B0%E7%99%BD%E5%A8%98%E5%AD%90%E4%BC%A0%E5%A5%87/419470).
Reruns became a fixture of mainland television. A 2013 Beijing Business Today report counted at least 30 broadcasts per year and listed summer and winter holiday reruns on provincial satellite channels including Shaanxi, Zhejiang, Hebei, Henan, Guangxi, and Sichuan TV[14](https://epaper.bbtnews.com.cn/site1/bjsb/images/2013-03/01/A5/0301A05.pdf). In 2004, reruns on CCTV-1 and CCTV-8 each topped those channels' annual ratings[7](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%B0%E7%99%BD%E5%A8%98%E5%AD%90%E4%BC%A0%E5%A5%87/419470), and a Sina Entertainment retrospective placed its replay frequency behind only the 1986 *Journey to the West* and *[My Fair Princess](https://www.edgepedia.org/my-fair-princess)* among series shown in the mainland[15](https://ent.sina.com.cn/v/h/2013-02-28/21173866983.shtml?from=wap).
## Reception
The drama holds a Douban score of 9.1 out of 10 from more than 200,000 users[7](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%B0%E7%99%BD%E5%A8%98%E5%AD%90%E4%BC%A0%E5%A5%87/419470). Critics attribute its endurance to Chiu's portrayal of Bai Suzhen as an idealized woman, dignified, learned, gentle, and resolute in love, and to the series' fusion of romance with traditional values such as karmic retribution, filial piety, and gratitude[7](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%B0%E7%99%BD%E5%A8%98%E5%AD%90%E4%BC%A0%E5%A5%87/419470). It won a gold medal at Japan's 20th international television arts exhibition in 1993 and a "VIP beloved classic drama" award at [Tencent Video](https://www.edgepedia.org/tencent-video)'s Star Awards in 2016[7](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%B0%E7%99%BD%E5%A8%98%E5%AD%90%E4%BC%A0%E5%A5%87/419470). A survey cited by *The Paper* found that among adaptations of the White Snake legend, the 1992 TTV series was the version with the greatest presence in public memory[16](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_3256063).
## Remakes and legacy
The series belongs to a long line of adaptations of the White Snake legend, which is one of China's four great folk legends and was inscribed on the first national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006 as applied for by [Zhenjiang](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhenjiang), Jiangsu, and Hangzhou, Zhejiang[17](https://www.xinhuanet.com/ent/20210702/C96E3F2553400001DCE9A79015E09860/c.html). In 2019, iQiyi and China Literature produced a 36-episode remake, the first officially authorized remake in the 27 years since the original, starring [Ju Jingyi](https://www.edgepedia.org/ju-jingyi) and Yu Menglong; the 1992 leads Yip and Chen Meiqi appeared as the characters' mothers[16](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_3256063) • [18](https://media.people.com.cn/n1/2019/0422/c14677-31041983.html). The remake, scripted over two years and condensed from the original's 50 episodes, dropped the sung passages in favor of Chinese-style orchestral scoring and reworked the characterizations toward a younger idol-drama style; it premiered on iQiyi on April 3, 2019 and scored 4.2 on Douban, the lowest of the major White Snake screen adaptations[4](https://www.sohu.com/a/305692299_450343) • [9](https://k.sina.cn/article_6524158272_184dec14000100ht56.html?from=ent&subch=tv) • [19](https://www.jiemian.com/article/3032382.html).
The original's influence on how audiences imagine the legend is direct: the Zhejiang Propaganda Department's cultural column notes that young people's picture of Bai Suzhen as a gentle, faithful woman owes much to the series[20](https://zjnews.zjol.com.cn/zjxc/202408/t20240801_30441692.shtml), and Hangzhou media observed that visitors to West Lake seek out the Broken Bridge and Leifeng Pagoda through the drama's story[21](https://hznews.hangzhou.com.cn/chengshi/content/2022-05/19/content_8258584_2.htm).
## Restoration and streaming rights
Rights to the series in mainland China have changed hands repeatedly. In 2024, Beijing Darong Culture Media entered the mainland copyright operation of the 1992 series and, with TTV, released a high-definition restored poster[22](https://www.dzmg.cn/newsinfo/65308.html). On September 28, 2025, the 4K restored version began airing on Dragon TV's newly launched 4K ultra-high-definition channel in its "afternoon classics" slot, distributed exclusively by Shangshi Wu'an under [Shanghai Media Group](https://www.edgepedia.org/shanghai-media-group)'s parent Oriental Pearl[8](https://www.opg.cn/cn/newsCenter/newsInfo/1972212678838677504.html).
Streaming availability has been unstable. In August of the following year, Youku removed the series mid-binge, with viewers reporting the final episode blocked by a rights notice; the Youku 4K restoration, all 50 episodes in 4:3 aspect ratio, was regarded as the best-looking legitimate version, while iQiyi's unremastered source was available to members at visibly lower quality[23](https://post.smzdm.com/p/awwznp02/). Restoration quality itself drew scrutiny: the Bilibili restoration account "Bai Xue Hui" (白学会) judged the Dragon TV 4K broadcast's source material poor despite the 4K label[23](https://post.smzdm.com/p/awwznp02/).
## References
1. [新白娘子傳奇, TheTVDB](https://thetvdb.com/series/new-legend-of-madame-white-snake)
2. [New Legend of Madame White Snake (1992), JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-legend-of-white-snake-1992)
3. [Retelling a romantic legend, China Daily via eHangzhou](https://www.ehangzhou.gov.cn/2025-01/26/c_292474_3.htm)
4. [《新白娘子传奇》符合年轻观众的审美和价值表达, 爱奇艺戴莹专访, Sohu](https://www.sohu.com/a/305692299_450343)
5. [新白娘子传奇赵雅芝版·高能速看版, 爱奇艺](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_zzys1xc67p.html)
6. [情系新白——《新白娘子传奇》专题, 雅芝网](https://11151115.com/xinbai/)
7. [新白娘子传奇（1992年赵雅芝、叶童主演的古装神话音乐剧）, 百度百科](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%B0%E7%99%BD%E5%A8%98%E5%AD%90%E4%BC%A0%E5%A5%87/419470)
8. [92版《新白娘子传奇》超清修复归来，尚世五岸版权引进再添情怀佳作, 东方明珠](https://www.opg.cn/cn/newsCenter/newsInfo/1972212678838677504.html)
9. [《新白娘子传奇》开播，这个许仙有点帅, 新浪新闻](https://k.sina.cn/article_6524158272_184dec14000100ht56.html?from=ent&subch=tv)
10. [When the Wind Was Blowing Wild: Hong Kong Cinema of the 1970s, Hong Kong Film Archive oral history](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/18995340/19057030/Oral%2BHistory%2BSeries_chi07_ebook.pdf)
11. [The Legend of the White Snake EP01 (1992), TTV Official Channel, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wExj-JQAgiE)
12. [白蛇故事如何在戏曲中流传, 中国传统文化促进会](https://www.tcpc.org.cn/20449.html)
13. [新白娘子传奇, 搜狗百科](https://baike.sogou.com/m/fullLemma?lid=148655692)
14. [北京商报 2013.3.1 文化创意产业周刊](https://epaper.bbtnews.com.cn/site1/bjsb/images/2013-03/01/A5/0301A05.pdf)
15. [台湾古装剧：民间传奇与琼瑶言情, 新浪娱乐](https://ent.sina.com.cn/v/h/2013-02-28/21173866983.shtml?from=wap)
16. [新版《新白娘子传奇》：新编之难与翻拍之困, 澎湃新闻](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_3256063)
17. [《白蛇传》的故事是如何演变的？, 新华网](https://www.xinhuanet.com/ent/20210702/C96E3F2553400001DCE9A79015E09860/c.html)
18. [新版《新白娘子传奇》：满屏偶像剧气质, 人民网](https://media.people.com.cn/n1/2019/0422/c14677-31041983.html)
19. [豆瓣评分4.2，2019版《新白》为何成白蛇IP口碑垫底之作, 界面新闻](https://www.jiemian.com/article/3032382.html)
20. [浙江宣传 | 白蛇传说为何长盛不衰](https://zjnews.zjol.com.cn/zjxc/202408/t20240801_30441692.shtml)
21. [好快，《新白娘子传奇》开播已经30年了！, 杭州网](https://hznews.hangzhou.com.cn/chengshi/content/2022-05/19/content_8258584_2.htm)
22. [《新白娘子传奇》经典再现 32年后推出高清修复版海报, 大众商报](https://www.dzmg.cn/newsinfo/65308.html)
23. [看到最后一集突然弹出"因版权问题无法播放"：这个八月，一部34年前的老剧把全网观众看懵了, 什么值得买](https://post.smzdm.com/p/awwznp02/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › East Asian web and streaming serials › Titles Iv to My*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license