Bai Suzhen aka Madam White Snake is  a central character in the Chinese  

folk legend, "The Legend of the White Snake."

A white snake spirit, Bai Suzhen gains immortality  

and human-like qualities after  centuries of Taoist practices.

She falls in love with a human man, Xu Xian, and  transforms into a beautiful woman to marry him.

Their love, however, is opposed  by the Buddhist monk Fahai,  

who sees the union of mortal and  supernatural beings as unnatural,  

and traps Bai Suzhen in a pagoda after  revealing her true snake form to Xu Xian.

In some renditions, Bai Suzhen is freed  and they live happily together; in others,  

they are tragically separated  but their love endures in spirit.

The story is a complex tapestry of love,  sacrifice, and moral ambiguity, often  

interpreted as a parable on the redemptive power  of love and the complexities of human emotion.

This story has been depicted  in numerous adaptations,  

including operas, TV series, and films.