Based on a legendary story

The timeless fairy tale of Bai She Zhuan,  The Legend of the White Snake, has been retold in a variety of art forms.

From operas and paper-cuts, to paintings and pottery figurines, the courage and spirit of the White Snake and her royal companion, the Green Snake, as well as her romance with the scholar Xu Xian, have touched the hearts of generations.

Auspicious Sign Greets the New Year, an ongoing exhibition at the National Art Museum of China, demonstrates the wealth and diversity of cultural products inspired by the legend, and the cultural symbolism embodied in the protagonists.

The exhibition, which runs through April 8, also includes calligraphic scrolls, embroidery, children's toys and opera masks featuring the snake to show how it has been defined in the cultural and spiritual worlds of China since ancient times.