Study Of The Dissemination Of China's White Snake In Thailand And Its Native "Naga" Snake Culture

Tales of “snake” and local legends have been spread in Thailand for generations,and become one of Thai favorite literary topics recently.In Thai native belief and story,snake culture has a long history.It embodies rich ancient social beliefs.Ancient Thais pray for a good harvest by worshipping Snake God Naga(from Indian culture;also called Phayanak in Thai)and tales of Naga have been spread.Snake tales in Thailand are mainly about the theme of White Snake Stirs up the Sea.This theme embodies belief basis of Mekong River region——persuading people to observe the precepts of Buddhist discipline and believe “Bad deeds,as well as good,may rebound upon the doer”.This belief has integrated into snake stories of different ages.Later,influenced by foreign culture and China's White Snake,Thai snake stories emerge love between man and snake.After spread into Thailand,White Snake has been translated into Thai version,compiled into Thai Chinese textbooks,and widely used in teaching.Meanwhile,in film and TV programs,love between man and snake also comes into being.Also,White Snake nowadays has become communication symbol of social awareness,for example Statue of Naga in Buddhist Temples.The author mainly studies the dissemination of China's White Snake in Thailand.Through Thai version White Snake,its reading materials,and film and TV works,the author makes a thorough research of routes,problems and features of its transmission.Also,through the study of 1960's Thai literary works on snake,it is believed that China's English-versioned White Snake is spread into and disseminated in Thailand for the first time after 1960.In 1963,Lin Dai-starring White Snake puts on in Thai cinemas,and it becomes Thais' favorite story.Other films and TV series about White Snake become popular among the Thais.Is this connected with snakeworship in Thailand? Thus begins my dissertation.The author make a comparison between Feng Menglong's Lady White Snake Kept in Leifeng Pagoda Forever and Thai most famous folk snake tale Pa Dang-Nang,and studies the evolution of Thai snake image and effects of White Snake upon Thai society.This dissertation consists of five chapters.Chapter One begins with tales of Panaya,paying attention to Thai snake culture and local snake tales,and thinking deeply on its spreading origin of Thai native snake stories.This dissertation believes that snake tales originates in folk worship,first spreads in culturally different Chiang Saen district,Chiang Rai province of Northern Thailand and Northeast district nearby Mekong River(ancient Yonok Chiang Saen Kingdom and Kingdom of Lang Xang).Next,this dissertation makes a study of snake tales widely spread in Thai locals,and explores snake's implied Thai cultural significance.It opens with snakeworship and local tales,and digs out its origin in Thailand in hope of understanding ancient social culture in early Thai society.In the study of foreign cultural influence of snake culture,this thesis finds out that China's White Snake comes into Thailand with the Chinese immigrants in early period,spreads till now in form of Chinese opera,and coexists with Thai native tales.Through collecting materials,the author discovers that the spreading of China's White Snake has two forms: books,and film and television.Therefore,it is necessary to make a deep research on books,and film and TV series.From this,the author makes a discovery that Thai snake tales mainly tell White Snake Stirs up the Sea and embody moral tendency of Mekong River region——persuading people to observe the precepts of Buddhist discipline and believe “Bad deeds,as well as good,may rebound upon the doer”.Chapter Two explores the dissemination of White Snake in Thai.It chiefly expounds different versions in Thai and dissemination strategies,gathers its derivative products in Thailand,arranges features and problems of its literary works,and explores dissemination of film and TV works.Chapter Three is mainly about dissemination of film and TV works on White Snake.With their release and popularity,increasing attention is paid to snake tales.Among them,Zhao Yazhi-starring Lady White Snake in 1992 makes a deep impression on the Thais and exerts a huge influence on Thai literature,film and TV series,and directly paves a way for the emergence of Thai public products.In 2016,Thai native TV series Nakee is released.It narrates a love story between White Snake and a man named Xu Xian.Once it puts on,it becomes an immediate success.After this,White Snake in Thailand receives much attention from mass media.Meanwhile,through China's film and TV series,White Snake becomes popular in Thai audience as well.This reflects the integration of modern media and native belief,and embodies Thai belief in White Naga as well.Theme of the TV series is similar with China's White Snake,but makes some changes according to Thai native belief in plot and characters: White Snake is not a demon,but a White Naga.White Naga tale is one of the four Chinese folk literary tales.So,the author selects Thai famous White Snake folk tale for comparison.Chapter Four makes a comparison between China's White Snake and Thai local snake tales.It explores the evolution of Thai snake images and stories,and compares construction of snake images in China and Thailand.Because Thai snake-worship is connected with religion,the author analyzes the influence of White Snake upon Thai society against its religious belief.Chapter Five illustrates the effects of White Snake on Thai society from the perspectives of Thai folk snake culture,color culture of White Snake,higher education,modern film and TV works concerning “snake”.The author believes that the dissemination of China's White Snake in Thailand not only lies in Thai native snake-worship,but also owes to the popularity of Thai modern literary and artistic works concerning “snake”.