Kunqu Opera: 'Legend of the White Snake'

Kunqu Opera, one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera, originated in the Kunshan-Taicang area of Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. With a history of nearly 600 years, it combines poetry, music, song and dance into an integrated art form, winning it a fame of the "teacher or ancestor of a hundred operas" in China. Recognized as one of the three classic operas of the world, Kunqu was proclaimed a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO in 2001. 

One of the excerpts from the classic "Legend of the White Snake" is shown in pictures. The white snake spirit, Bai Suzhen, fell in love with Xu Xian, a kind man she met while strolling by the West Lake. To help Xu open a pharmacy, Bai sent her companion, Xiaoqing, to steal money from the treasury of a corrupt official. Xiaoqing and her companions managed to steal the money after defeating the guards.

(All photos are stills from "Legend of the White Snake," by CGTN's Zhang Yuying.)