On September 25th, 1924 at 1:40 PM, the #LeifengPagoda in #Hangzhou collapsed, a childhood wish was fulfilled, and a snake got the last laugh. Built around the year 976, the pagoda was considered one of the major sights of Hangzhou's famous #WestLake area, but by the early 20th century it had fallen into disrepair. The final collapse is said to have been due to superstitious people stealing bricks from the tower. According to legend, the pagoda was also where the monk Fahai trapped Bai Suzhen, a.k.a. #MadameWhiteSnake, for the crime (?) of marrying a mortal man. Later versions of the tale were an early influence on the writer #LuXun, on whose birthday the pagoda coincidentally (?) fell. In an essay published soon after, he wrote of wishing as a child for the pagoda to collapse and mocked Fahai as a moralistic busybody. Lu Xun died in 1936, while Leifeng Pagoda was rebuilt in 2002. Bai Suzhen presumably remains at large. (Picture: Li Song, 1190–1264, via Wikimedia Commons) #白蛇娘娘万岁