Impressions on West Lake

Lei Feng Pagoda (prison of Lady White Snake)

Every night during spring and summer West Lake becomes a stage and the scenery becomes a breathtaking backdrop. A beautiful performance depicting a story based off of an ancient Chinese legend called Lady White Snake comes to life. The legend itself is old and has many variations, but the Impression show is another tale based off the legend. Impressions of West Lake was dreamed up by Zhang Yimou, the brains behind the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics. The show takes place on a stage that is submerged in West Lake. They use the surrounding scenery to set the scene with Broken Bridge lit up in the background. It is an incredible show with a lovely story that is worth seeing for anyone venturing to Hangzhou.

The tale tells of a powerful white snake demon, Bainiangzi, and a green snake demon with lesser powers, Xiao Qing, that take on human forms and become two beautiful women. They come to Hangzhou and are enjoying the scenes of West Lake when it begins to rain. A young scholar, Xu Xian, finds the two women taking cover under a tree and offers his umbrella. Bainiangzi soon falls in love with Xu Xian and he returns her feelings and they are soon married.

One day, Xu Xian visits a temple to pray and meets a Buddhist monk, Fa Hai, who senses the 'devil scent' on Xu Xian. The monk warns Xu Xian that he married a snake demon and advises him to trick her into drinking some wine that will change her to her true form. Xu Xian does what the monk advised and Bainiangzi turns into a white snake. When Xu Xian sees the snake he dies from fright and the White snake is devastated. To save her beloved husband she steals a magical herb from a mountain that brings him back to life.

Fa Hai seizes Xu Xian to separate him from the white snake and takes him to Jin Shan Temple. Bainiangzi defeats Fa Hai and is reunited with Xu Xian at Broken Bridge, who managed to escape from Jin Shan Temple. Eventually Fa Hai captures the white snake and imprisons her under Lei Feng Pagoda. Lei Feng Pagoda collapsed years ago and it is said that a maiden dressed in white  was seen walking from the rubble. 

The story for the Impressions show is similar and follows the story of a scholar and a young woman who meet on broken bridge and fall in love. They are both married, but their love is not accepted and in the struggle to escape capture the young woman dies. The young scholar goes back to the place of their first meeting in hopes of finding her again, but only finds many other young ladies and the memory of his beloved. There are five acts to the show and I have a brochure that explains the story, but is not translated very well. I will try my best to alter the translation,but I am unsure at certain parts as to what they are trying to express... So, here it goes.

FIRST ACT: Meeting

A white crane flies from the remote horizon, landing by West Lake and changing into a young scholar. At the same time another white crane lands and changes into a young lady. They fall in love at first sight and enjoy the West Lake scenery. As the rain begins to fall the lovers share an umbrella that becomes their love keepsake, which was the same of Xu Xian and Bainiangzi. Sometimes the predestined relationship could be waited for one thousand years, and sometimes it could only be in a moment. The predestined relationship is there with deep trust, but where does it come from. Sometimes it will surpass the life and human beings.

SECOND ACT: Fall in Love

The fish in West Lake are full of spirit. They play, chase, and swim freely in the love lake. Just seems like the people's love in the drama boat (not quite sure on this one). Love is a promise from lovers and is a beautiful harmony of two hearts. The closeness of heart and spirit could make people close, intimate, and happy in their love world.

THIRD ACT: Say Goodbye

 The time of happiness is as short as the flames. Roar of the drums indicates that a suffering  is coming. A huge power will separate the lovers. The white crane that changed into a lady dies in a struggle... just like the tragedy of Xu xian and Bainiangzi. The miserable and beautiful departure of human and crane win purified praises from lots of wings. All thoughts towards life could be recognized as a simple meeting, behind which the poetic keenly feel. The meeting is destined to departure, but the human departure could be forever in heaven.

FOURTH ACT: Memory

When the scholar came back to their first meeting place again, the beautiful scene is still there; many ladies are presented, but he could not find the one he loved before. He remembered the rain, and pursued the boat they had made a pledge on, but his lover only was shined in a subtle space and all he can do is call her name in his heart. The scholar recalled the elapsed world with sadness...

FIFTH ACT: Impression

Just like the lake, beautiful, graceful, massive, and vacant sorrow is but without wound. Also as the traditional love in West Lake, the couple is presented in the dream and gone with the water.

It was a beautiful performance with absolutely no speaking and only a short introduction at the beginning.   Unfortunately it was in Chinese characters, so none of us students could understand it. The music was incredibly beautiful and brought the story together nicely. It was the perfect night for it too, with not a cloud in the sky and the full moon showing its bright face. 

With that dear friends I must say goodnight. See you when I see you! Much Love