Jiaxin Zou

Goddess Chang’s Flying to the Moon(嫦娥奔月) In this dark reinterpretation of the Moon Goddess Chang’e tale, she flees to the moon to escape her violent husband, who is depicted with human bones and blood to highlight his brutality. Even on the moon, his threatening presence looms, creating a sinister story of her ongoing struggle for peace.

Gu Huo bird (姑获鸟) Gu Huo bird, in a form close to human, cradles a sleeping infant. Around her neck, mirroring the circular nature of the Gu Huo, are nine bird heads. Despite her maternal act of reclaiming and taking her child, she is maligned and labeled as a monstrous bird that steals children. She is condemned to eternal punishment, with the fires of hell forever burning around her.

Cowherd and Weaving maid (牛郎织女) A dark reinterpretation of the classic Chinese tale of the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid. In this twisted version, the Cowherd takes their children away, only allowing them to reunite once a year to prevent the Weaving Maid from escaping him permanently. The scene depicts the Weaving Maid, visibly distressed, attempting to return to the heavenly palace. Her path is blocked by the Cowherd, who is threatening her with the fate of their children, ensuring her compliance and trapping her in his control.

Legend of the White Snake (白蛇传) A dramatic scene where a violent monk attempts to imprison the White Snake under a pagoda. The White Snake, wielding her powerful water magic, fiercely resists. Meanwhile, her husband secretly conspires with the monk, whispering to him as he betrays the White Snake by pouring yellow wine onto her, weakening her defenses and complicating her struggle for freedom.

Bian Po (变婆) Bian Po, who became a tiger, did not disturb the peace of the village or steal other people’s children (unlike in the original story). Instead, she took her own child. In the reflection of the pond, the mom held her child in her original form, but due to her tiger appearance, she was attacked by arrows.

White Bone Demon (白骨妖) The White Bone Demon transforms into a bride and marries the man she loves. The scene captures the moment her husband discovers her skeletal body, his expression one of terror upon unveiling her true form.

Burnt Snake (烙女蛇) In a bizarre scene, the Burnt Snake’s eyes are gouged out by her lover’s jealous wife. However, her lover manipulates his own wife like a puppeteer, allowing her to harm the Burnt Snake. Overcome with rage, the Burnt Snake transforms into an angry serpent, coiling around her lover. This absurd spectacle is misinterpreted as a loyal couple punishing an evil third party, rightly earning the applause of the audience.

Mermaid (鲛人) The mermaid is confined in an intricately carved water tank, where people endlessly attempt to collect her tears, which turn into pearls and gems, in pursuit of perpetual wealth. Her tears are caught in a bowl held by a sculpture, and although it overflows, people remain unsatisfied.

Lazy Lady (懒妇) A ‘lazy’ woman is confined within a small, box-like space, diligently spinning patterned fabric on her spinning wheel. Despite her hard work, she is still derogatively called lazy by others. In the original myth, she eventually commits suicide by jumping into the sea and transforms into a fish. Tragically, her family uses the oil from her fish form to make candles, continuing to consume and burn her essence until nothing remains.

Doghead Bride (狗头新妇) In this perspective, a massive statue symbolizing justice unfairly weighs a bride’s head against a dog’s head on a scale. The statue, meant to be impartial, peeks with one eye, indicating a biased judgment of the bride’s worth. This decision, determining if she’s a ‘bad’ bride with a dog’s head or a ‘good’ bride, hinges not on her merits but on divine whim. The story originates from a tale where a bride who mistreated her mother-in-law is cursed by the gods to grow a dog’s head.

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