A white snake spirit disguised itself as a woman and came to earth.
She fell in love with a young man, who requited her love and they became husband and wife.
Their love story was marred by multiple obstacles, including the revelation of the snake spirit’s true being, which had been kept a secret even from her own husband.
Thus went the Legend of the White Snake, which is said to have been told since around a thousand years ago. The story even became famous in Indonesia, where a television series based on the legend was aired during the 2000s. Ergo, despite the common associations between snakes and evil or danger in many folk tales, this legend relates the beast to a tale of romance.
Melbourne’s Chinese Museum is displaying a series of woodblock paintings telling the story of the White Snake love story, as part of its 2025 Chinese New Year celebrations. The paintings hail from Yangliuqing, Tianjin. The particular painting technique started during the Ming Dynasty era, which lasted between 1368 to 1644 AD.
Chinese Museum CEO Mark Wang said that the White Snake series were actually part of the museum’s existing collection, along with various photographs and artefacts concerning Chinese culture, particularly Chinese communities in Australia.
Mr Mark Wang, Director Chinese Museum in Melbourne Chinatown. Credit: Chinese Museum Melbourne
Chinese gold miners coming to VIctoria hundreds of years ago were much more efficient - and often more successful - than their European counterparts. In 1855, Chinese settlers were hit with a tax that targeted them in particular.
This tax, dubbed poll tax, was imposed by the Victorian government.
As a result, many of them shifted direction to South Australia, even when it meant a much further distance from the gold mines.
Additionally, Melbourne’s Chinatown for the past few decades has been graced by the giant dragon procession or parade.
This sort of parade, according to Mark, is rarely seen in China these days.
Over the decades, the procession has used a number of dragons and several of these dragon heads used over the celebration’s history are on display at the Museum.
Dai Loong and the Millennium Dragon, the largest Chinese processional dragon at the Chinese Museum Melbpurne Chinatown.. Credit: CHinese Museum Mlebourne
~ Dina Indrasafitri
