[2] Xu Xian, a young boy, once owned a pet snake in West Lake until his parents forced him to give her up.

In the end, Bai-Niang gives up her magical powers and remains in human form to prove that her love for Xu Xian is genuine.

The film is essentially an adaptation of the Song dynasty Chinese folktale Legend of the White Snake (白蛇傳).

The decision of a Chinese story being used as the concept blueprint came from Toei Doga president Hiroshi Ōkawa, who wanted to strike a tone of reconciliation with the Asian neighbors.

Historically, this film marked Tōei Dōga's first attempt to follow the example of American feature animation studios and become the so-called "Disney of the east."