Ye Xian is a traditional Chinese fairy tale that functions as one of the oldest known variants of the Cinderella story. It shares significant thematic similarities with other international folk tales, such as the Malay-Indonesian Bawang Putih Bawang Merah and stories from various ethnic groups including the Tibetans and the Zhuang.
The narrative was first published in a compilation titled Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang around 850 during the Tang dynasty by Duan Chengshi. While it is well-documented in Chinese literature, historical compilations also attest to several different versions of the tale derived from oral sources.