Hua Mulan () is a legendary

folk hero A folk hero or national hero is a type of hero – real, fictional or mythological – with their name, personality and deeds embedded in the popular consciousness of a people, mentioned frequently in folk songs, folk tales and other folklore; an ...

ine from the

Northern and Southern dynasties The Northern and Southern dynasties () was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered as ...

era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as a man. In the story, after prolonged and distinguished military service against nomadic hordes beyond the northern frontier, Mulan is honored by the emperor but declines a position of high office. She retires to her hometown, where she is reunited with her family and reveals her gender, much to the astonishment of her comrades. Scholars generally consider Mulan to be a fictional character. Hua Mulan is depicted in the

Wu Shuang Pu ''Wu Shuang Pu'' () is a book of woodcut prints, first printed in 1694, early on in the Qing dynasty. This book contains the biographies and imagined portraits of 40 notable heroes and heroines from the Han Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, all acco ...

(, ''Table of Peerless Heroes'') by

Jin Guliang ''Wu Shuang Pu'' () is a book of woodcut prints, first printed in 1694, early on in the Qing dynasty. This book contains the biographies and imagined portraits of 40 notable heroes and heroines from the Han Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, all acco ...

First mentions

The first written record of Mulan is the ''Ballad of Mulan'', a

folk song Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be c ...

believed to have been composed during the

Northern Wei dynasty Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern dynasties, it ruled northern China from 386 to 535 during the ...

(386–535 CE) and compiled in an anthology of books and songs during the Southern Chen dynasty (557–589 CE). The historical setting of the ''Ballad of Mulan'' is usually the Northern Wei's military campaigns against the nomadic

Rouran The Rouran Khaganate, also Juan-Juan Khaganate (), was a tribal confederation and later state founded by a people of Proto-Mongolic Donghu origin.*Pulleyblank, Edwin G. (2000)"Ji 姬 and Jiang 姜: The Role of Exogamic Clans in the Organizati ...

. A later adaptation has Mulan active around the founding of the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

( 620 CE). The story of Mulan was taken up in a number of later works, including the 16th-century

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

', and many screen and stage adaptations. The Hua Mulan crater on

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...

is named after her.

Sources

Mulan, 18th century, ink and colors on silk

The ''

Ballad of Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...

'' was first transcribed in the ''Musical Records of Old and New'', a compilation of books and songs by the monk Zhijiang in the Southern Chen dynasty in the 6th century. The earliest extant text of the poem comes from an 11th- or 12th-century anthology known as the ''

Music Bureau The Music Bureau (Traditional Chinese: 樂府; Simplified Chinese: 乐府; Hanyu Pinyin: ''yuèfǔ'', and sometimes known as the "Imperial Music Bureau") served in the capacity of an organ of various imperial government bureaucracies of China: dis ...

Collection'', whose author,

Guo Maoqian Guo Maoqian () was a Song dynasty poetry anthologist. He compiled an importantBirrell, 8 collection of lyrical pieces in his work ''Anthology of Yuefu Poetry'' (樂府詩集), which contains almost all of the surviving Music Bureau style, or Yuefu ...

, explicitly mentions the ''Musical Records of Old and New'' as his source for the poem. As a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

, the lines do not necessarily have equal numbers of syllables. The poem consists of 31

couplet A couplet is a pair of successive lines of metre in poetry. A couplet usually consists of two successive lines that rhyme and have the same metre. A couplet may be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (or closed) couplet, each of the ...

s and is mostly composed of five-character phrases, with a few extending to seven or nine. An adaptation by playwright

Xu Wei Xu Wei (, 1521–1593), other department Qingteng Shanren (), was a Chinese painter, playwright, poet, and tea master during the Ming dynasty. A noted painter, poet, writer and dramatist famed for his artistic expressiveness.Cihai: Page 802. ...

(d. 1593) dramatized the tale as "The Female Mulan" or, more fully, "The Heroine Mulan Goes to War in Her Father's Place", in two acts. Later, the character of Mulan was incorporated into the ''Romance of Sui and Tang'', a novel written by Chu Renhuo (). Over time, the story of Mulan rose in popularity as a folk tale among the Chinese people.

Name

The heroine of the poem is given different family names in different versions of her story. The ''Musical Records of Old and New'' states Mulan's given name is not known and therefore implies Mulan is her

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

. As the ''Ballad of Mulan'' is set in the Northern Wei dynasty when northern China was ruled by ethnic

Xianbei The Xianbei (; ) were a Proto-Mongolic ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. They originated from the Donghu people who splintered into the ...

, a

proto-Mongolic Proto-Mongolic is the hypothetical ancestor language of the modern Mongolic languages. It is very close to the Middle Mongol language, the language spoken at the time of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire. Most features of modern Mongolic languag ...

people, there is some evidence that Mulan was not ethnic

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...

but Xianbei, who had exclusively

compound surnames In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name, ...

. Mulan may have been the sinified version of the Xianbei word "umran" which means prosperous. According to later books such as ''Female Mulan'', her family name is Zhu (), while the ''Romance of Sui and Tang'' says it is Wei (). The family name ''Hua'' (), which was introduced by

, has become the most popular in recent years, in part because of its more poetic meaning and association with the given name "Mulan" (), which literally means "

magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

Historicity

Mulan's name is included in Yan Xiyuan's ''

One Hundred Beauties 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...

'', which is a compilation of various women in Chinese folklore. There is still a debate whether Mulan is a historical person or just a legend, as her name does not appear in ''Exemplary Women'' which is a compilation of biographies of women during the Northern Wei dynasty. Though ''The Ballad of Mulan'' itself does not expressly indicate the historical setting, the story is commonly attributed to the Northern Wei dynasty due to geographic and cultural references in the ballad.(Chinese
暮雨, "燕山胡骑鸣啾啾《木兰辞》背后的鲜卑汉化与柔然战争"
Accessed 2020-09-06 The Northern Wei dynasty was founded by the

Tuoba The Tuoba (reconstructed Middle Chinese pronunciation: *''tʰak-bɛt''), also known as the Taugast or Tabgach ( otk, 𐱃𐰉𐰍𐰲 ''Tabγač''), was a Xianbei clan in Imperial China.Wei Shou. '' Book of Wei''. Vol. 1 During the Sixteen King ...

clan of ethnic

who united northern China in the 4th century (

Conquest dynasty A conquest dynasty () in the history of China refers to a Chinese dynasty established by non- Han ethnicities that ruled parts or all of China proper, the traditional heartland of the Han people, and whose rulers may or may not fully assimilate ...

). The Tuoba Xianbei rulers were themselves nomads from the northern steppes and became sinified as they ruled and settled in northern China. The Tuoba Xianbei took on the Chinese dynasty name "Wei", changed their own surname from "Tuoba" to "Yuan", and moved the capital from Pingcheng, modern-day

Datong Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province in the People's Republic of China. It is located in the Datong Basin at an elevation of and borders Inner Mongolia to the north and west and Hebei to the east. As of the 2020 cens ...

Shanxi Province Shanxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is ...

in the northern periphery of

Imperial China The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapte ...

, to

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...

, south of the

Yellow River The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Standard Beijing Mandarin, Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system in the world at th ...

, in the Central Plain, the traditional heartland of China. The emperors of the Northern Wei were known both by the sacred Chinese title, "

Son of Heaven Son of Heaven, or ''Tianzi'' (), was the sacred monarchical title of the Chinese sovereign. It originated with the Zhou dynasty and was founded on the political and spiritual doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven. Since the Qin dynasty, the secula ...

", and by "

Khagan Khagan or Qaghan (Mongolian:; or ''Khagan''; otk, 𐰴𐰍𐰣 ), or , tr, Kağan or ; ug, قاغان, Qaghan, Mongolian Script: ; or ; fa, خاقان ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan ...

", the title of the leader of nomadic kingdoms. ''The Ballad of Mulan'' refers to the sovereign by both titles. The Northern Wei also adopted the governing institutions of Imperial China, and the office of ''shangshulang'' () the Khagan offered Mulan is a ministerial position within the ''shangshusheng'' (), the highest organ of executive power under the emperor. This offering indicates Mulan was trained in the martial arts and literary arts as she was capable of serving as a civilian official charged with issuing and interpreting written government orders. The Xianbei in China also retained certain nomadic traditions, and Xianbei women were typically skilled horseback riders. Another popular Northern Wei folk poem called "Li Bo's Younger Sister" praises Yong Rong, Li Bo's younger sister, for her riding and archery skills. ''The Ballad of Mulan'' may have reflected the gender roles and status of women in nomadic societies. The Northern Wei was engaged in protracted military conflict with the nomadic

, who frequently raided the northern Chinese frontier to loot and pillage. Northern Wei emperors considered the Rouran to be uncivilized "

barbarians A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be less c ...

" and called them ''Ruanruan'' or wriggling worms. According to the ''

Book of Wei The ''Book of Wei'', also known by its Chinese name as the ''Wei Shu'', is a classic Chinese historical text compiled by Wei Shou from 551 to 554, and is an important text describing the history of the Northern Wei and Eastern Wei from 386 to 5 ...

'', the dynasty's

official history An official history is a work of history which is sponsored, authorised or endorsed by its subject. The term is most commonly used for histories which are produced for a government. The term also applies to commissions from non-state bodies includin ...

Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei ((北)魏太武帝, 408 – 11 March 452), personal name Tuoba Tao (拓拔燾), Xianbei name Büri(佛貍),佛貍 should actually be pronounced Büri, and meant "wolf" in the Xianbei language, 罗新：《北魏太武 ...

launched a military expedition in 429 against the Rouran by advancing on the Black Mountain and then extending northward to the Yanran Mountain. Both locations are cited in ''The Ballad''. The Black Mountain corresponds to Shahu Mountain (), located southeast of modern-day

Hohhot Hohhot,; abbreviated zh, c=呼市, p=Hūshì, labels=no formerly known as Kweisui, is the capital of Inner Mongolia in the north of the People's Republic of China, serving as the region's administrative, economic and cultural center.''The Ne ...

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...

. Yan Mountain, the shorthand for Yanran Mountain (), is now known as the

Khangai Mountains The Khangai Mountains ( mn, Хангайн нуруу, Hangain nuruu, ); form a mountain range, range in central Mongolia, some west of Ulaanbaatar. Name Two provinces of Mongolia are named after the Khangai mountains: Arkhangai (North Khangai) ...

of central

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

.(Chinese
顾农 "两首《木兰诗》的异同" 《文汇报》
2019-01-18 The Northern Wei sought to protect the frontier by establishing a string of frontier garrison commands across what is today Inner Mongolia.

''Ballad of Mulan''

Synopsis

Mulan sighs at her loom. The

is mobilizing the military, and her father is named in each of the conscription notices from the

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

. Her father is old and her younger brother is just a child, so she decides to take her father's place. She buys a fine horse from the eastern market,

saddle The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not kno ...

and

stirrup A stirrup is a light frame or ring that holds the foot of a rider, attached to the saddle by a strap, often called a ''stirrup leather''. Stirrups are usually paired and are used to aid in mounting and as a support while using a riding animal ( ...

from the western market,

bridle A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the "bridle" includes both the that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit. Headgear w ...

and

reins Reins are items of horse tack, used to direct a horse or other animal used for riding. They are long straps that can be made of leather, nylon, metal, or other materials, and attach to a bridle via either its bit or its noseband. Use for ...

from the southern market and a long

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

from the northern market. She bids farewell to her parents in the morning and leaves for the Black Mountain, encamping by the

in the evening, where she cannot hear the calls of her parents due to the rushing waters; only the sounds of the barbarians' cavalry in the Yan Mountains. She advances ten thousand '' li'' to battle as if flying past the mountains. The sound of the sentry gong cuts through the cold night air, and the moonlight reflects off her metal armor. A hundred battles take place, and generals die. After the ten-year campaign, the stout veterans return to meet the

(the emperor/Khagan), enthroned in the splendid palace, who confers promotions in rank and prizes of hundreds of thousands. He asks Mulan what she would like. Mulan turns down the high-ranking position of ''shangshulang'' in the central government, and asks only for a speedy steed to take her home. Her parents, upon hearing her return, welcome her outside their hometown. Her elder sister puts on her fine dress. Her younger brother sharpens the knife for the swine and sheep. Mulan returns to her room, changes from her tabard into her old clothes. She combs her hair by the window and, before the mirror, fastens golden yellow flowers. Her comrades are shocked to see her. For 12 years of their enlistment together, they did not realize that she was a woman. In response, Mulan offers a metaphor: "The male hare has heavy front paws. The female hare tends to squint. But when they are running side-by-side close to the ground, who can tell me which is male or female?"

Modern adaptations

The story of Hua Mulan has inspired a number of screen and stage adaptations, including:

Stage

*'' Mulan Joins the Army'' (1917 play) starring

Mei Lanfang Mei Lan (22 October 1894 – 8 August 1961), better known by his stage name Mei Lanfang, was a notable Peking opera artist in modern Chinese theater. Mei was known as "Queen of Peking Opera". Mei was exclusively known for his female lead ...

*''

Mulan Jr. ''Mulan Jr.'' is a one-act stage musical based on the 1998 Disney animated film ''Mulan'', which in turn was based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan and the story "Fa Mulan" by Robert D. San Souci. The adaptation mixes songs featured in the 199 ...

'', a one-act stage musical based on the 1998 Disney animated film ''Mulan'' *''The Legend of Marissa Inouye'' (2013 dance production) by the

Hong Kong Dance Company Hong may refer to: Places * Høng, a town in Denmark *Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and specia ...

Films

*'' Hua Mulan Joins the Army'' (1927 film) – a silent film released by

Tianyi Film Company Tianyi Film Company (), also called Unique Film Productions, was one of the "big three" film production companies in pre-Second World War Republic of China. Founded in Shanghai in 1925 by the Shaw (Shao) brothers led by Runje Shaw (Shao Zuiweng ...

and directed by

Li Pingqian Li Pingqian (1902 – 18 November 1984) was a Chinese filmmaker who directed over 90 films in his career in mainland China and Hong Kong. He is probably best known for his works with actresses Gong Qiuxia and Xia Meng, who each starred in more ...

. *'' Mulan Joins the Army'' (1928 film) –

Mingxing Film Company Mingxing Film Company (), also known as the Star Motion Picture Company, was one of the largest production companies during the 1920s, and 1930s in the Republican era. Founded in Shanghai, the company lasted from 1922 until 1937 when it was close ...

production, directed by

Hou Yao Hou Yao (1903–1942) was a pioneering Chinese film director, screenwriter, and film theorist. He wrote and directed many films including ''The Discarded Wife'' (1924), ''Romance of the Western Chamber'' (1927), the first Chinese film shown in We ...

. The film was unsuccessful, in part due to the Tianyi film that was released the previous year. *'' Mulan Joins the Army'' (1939 film) (original English title ''Hua Mu Lan''), – Chinese film made during the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...

, directed by

Bu Wancang Bu Wancang (July 1, 1900 – December 30, 1973), also known by his English name Richard Poh, was a prolific Chinese film director and screenwriter active between the 1920s and the 1960s. He was born in Anhui. Career Originally a member of the ...

and written by

Ouyang Yuqian Ouyang Yuqian (; May 12, 1889 – September 21, 1962) was a Chinese playwright, Peking opera actor and writer, film screenwriter and director, and drama educator. He is considered by drama historians as one of the three founders of Chinese spoken ...

. The film also created a large spark of popularity, in terms of literature. *''

Lady General Hua Mu-lan ''Lady General Hua Mu-lan'' () is a 1964 Hong Kong Huangmei opera musical film, directed by Yueh Feng, depicting the story of Hua Mulan. Synopsis Barbarian hordes had invaded and the border towns were overrun. The call went out for able-bod ...

'' (1964 film) – Hong Kong opera film. *'' Saga of Mulan'' (1994 film) – Film adaptation of the Chinese opera based on the legend. *''

The Secret of Mulan ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' – A 1998

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...

animated film by

Hong Ying Animation Hong Ying Animation Co., Ltd. () is an animation studio which has been a subsidiary of Wang Film Productions since 1986. Works Hong Ying animated, inked, and/or painted for the following shows: * '' The Adventures of Sam'' (Layouts only) * '' ...

, in which the characters are

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

animals and insects. Mulan in this film is portrayed as an anthropomorphic centaur-like butterfly caterpillar. *''

Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...

'' (1998 film) – Disney animated feature, and the basis of many derivative works. Disney's version of the Mulan character (named Fa Mulan) has subsequently appeared in other media and promotions, mainly as part of the ''

Disney Princess ''Disney Princess'', also called the ''Princess Line'', is a media franchise and toy line owned by the Walt Disney Company. Created by Disney Consumer Products chairman Andy Mooney, the franchise features a lineup of female protagonists who ha ...

'' product line. **''

Mulan II ''Mulan II'' is a 2004 American direct-to-video animated musical adventure film produced by the Japanese office of Disneytoon Studios. It is directed by Darrell Rooney and Lynne Southerland. It is a sequel to the 1998 theatrically-released Di ...

'' (2004 film) – A direct-to-video Disney animated sequel, set a couple of months after the events of Disney's 1998 film. **''

'' (2020 film) – Live action film from Disney that is a remake of the 1998 animated film. *''

, Rise of a Warrior'' (2009 film) – Chinese live action film. * '' Matchless Mulan'' () (2020 film) – Chinese live action film. * ''Mulan zhi Jinguo yinghao'' () (2020 film) – Chinese live action film. * ''Hua Mulan'' () (2020 film) – Chinese live action film starring Liu Chuxian () as the leading actress. * ''Kung Fu Mulan'' () (2020 film) – Chinese CGI animation film. Mulan Joins the Army songbook

Television series

*'' A Tough Side of a Lady'' (1998 series) – Hong Kong TVB drama series of Mulan starring

Mariane Chan Mariane Chan () (born 1 August 1972) is a Hong Kong actress. Television series *'' Love is Beautiful'' (TVB, 2002) *'' Lost in Love'' (大囍之家) (TVB, 2000) *''Witness to a Prosecution'' (TVB, 1999) *''Life for Life'' (命轉情真) (TVB, 1 ...

as Hua Mulan. *''Hua Mu Lan'' (1999 series) – Taiwan CTV period drama serial starring

Anita Yuen Anita Yuen Wing Yee (born 4 September 1971) is a Hong Kong film and television actress. Pageant career At the age of 18, Yuen entered the Miss Hong Kong 1990 pageant. She was a heavy favorite to win the crown from the semifinal to final. During t ...

as Hua Mulan. *

Jamie Chung Jamie Jilynn Chung (born April 10, 1983) is an American actress and former reality television personality. She began her career in 2004 as a cast member on the MTV reality series '' The Real World: San Diego'' and subsequently through her appe ...

portrays Mulan in the second, third and fifth seasons of the U.S. TV series ''

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in the ...

'' (2012–2013). *''Mu Lan'' () (2012) – China production with

Elanne Kong Elanne Kong (, born 30 September 1987) is a Hong Kong actress and singer. On 15 May 2020, she announced that she was changing her stage name from Elanne Kwong Yeuk-lam () to Elanne Kwong Yee-ching (). On 11 September 2021, she announced that she c ...

starring as Mu Lan *''The Legend of Hua Mulan'' () (2013) –

CCTV Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly t ...

production starring Hou Meng Yao,

Dylan Kuo Dylan Kuo (; born 8 June 1977) is a Taiwanese actor, singer and model. He rose to fame in 2004 after playing the lead role in the television series '' The Outsiders''. He is also known as Irons Kwok, his earlier western name, and Kwok Bun-chiu, ...

, Liu De Kai, Ray Lui,

Dai Chunrong Dai Chunrong (戴春荣) (born 1962 in Xi'an, Shaanxi) is a Chinese television actress and a former Qinqiang actress. Nicknamed the "empress specialist", she has portrayed over a dozen Chinese empresses in Chinese television series Chinese te ...

and

Angel Wang Wang Ou (, born 28 October 1982), also known as Angel Wang, is a Chinese actress and model. She is known for playing Wang Manchun in '' Disguiser'' and Qin Banruo in ''Nirvana in Fire''. Career In 2003, Wang won the Most Photogenic Award from t ...

. It consists of forty-nine episodes. *''Star of Tomorrow'' (2015) - a

Hunan TV Hunan Television or Hunan TV () is a provincial satellite TV station officially launched on 29 September 1970 and is currently China's second-most-watched channel, second only to CCTV-1, owned by China Central Television, although Hunan STV occasio ...

children's program which features all-child casts performing classic Chinese tales, produced a two-part adaptation of Hua Mulan in 2017, based largely on the Disney film and featuring Chinese versions of well-known songs from ''Mulan'' and other Disney films. *Mulan is portrayed in the Roosterteeth web series RWBY as a young male named Lai Ren. All of the members of his team are based on legendary figures who dressed as the opposite sex in their stories

Literature

Maxine Hong Kingston Maxine Hong Kingston (; born Maxine Ting Ting Hong;Huntley, E. D. (2001). ''Maxine Hong Kingston: A Critical Companion'', p. 1. October 27, 1940) is an American novelist. She is a Professor Emerita at the University of California, Berkeley, wher ...

re-visited Mulan's tale in her 1975 text ''

The Woman Warrior ''The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts'' is a book written by Chinese American author Maxine Hong Kingston and published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1976. The book blends autobiography with old Chinese Folklore, folktales. ''The Woma ...

''. Kingston's version popularized the story in the West and may have led to the Disney animated feature adaptation. *''The Legend of Mu Lan: A Heroine of Ancient China'' was the first English language picture book featuring the character Mulan published in the United States in 1992 by Victory Press. *In the fantasy/alternate history novel ''

Throne of Jade ''Throne of Jade'' is the second novel in the '' Temeraire'' alternate history/fantasy series written by American author Naomi Novik. It was published by Del Rey first in the United States on April 25, 2006, and was published in the United Kingd ...

'' (2006), China's aerial corps is described as being composed of all female captains and their dragons due to the precedent set by the legendary woman warrior. *

Cameron Dokey Cameron Dokey (born 1956) is an American author. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her three cats and her husband. Cameron was born in the Central Valley of California. Her father was a teacher of Philosophy, Creative Writing, and Western Lit ...

created 'Wild Orchid' in 2009, a retelling of the ''Ballad of Mulan'' as part of the

Once Upon A Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in the ...

series of novels published by

Simon Pulse Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest pub ...

, an imprint of

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...

. *In the comics, '' Deadpool Killustrated'' (2013), Hua Mulan, along with

Natty Bumppo Nathaniel "Natty" Bumppo is a fictional character and the protagonist of James Fenimore Cooper's pentalogy of novels known as the '' Leatherstocking Tales''. Fictional biography Natty Bumppo, the child of white parents, grew up among Delawar ...

and

Beowulf ''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...

, is brought together by

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

and

Dr. Watson John H. Watson, known as Dr. Watson, is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). The last work by Doyle f ...

(using H.G. Wells's time machine) to stop

Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadp ...

from killing all beloved literary characters and destroying the literary universe. *''Reflection'' by Elizabeth Lim was published in 2018 as an installment in Disney Press' Twisted Tales series. This is an alternate ending to the Disney film in which Mulan must travel to

Diyu Diyu () is the realm of the dead or " hell" in Chinese mythology. It is loosely based on a combination of the Buddhist concept of Naraka, traditional Chinese beliefs about the afterlife, and a variety of popular expansions and reinterpretations ...

, the Underworld, in order to save her captain. *In ''The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan'' by

Sherry Thomas Sherry M. Thomas (born 1975) is an American novelist of young adult fantasy, historical romance, and contemporary romance. She has won multiple awards including the Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Historical Romance for '' Not Qui ...

(2019), Mulan has trained in the martial arts since childhood in preparation for a hereditary duel. When she goes to war in her father's stead, she is shocked to discover her team's captain is also her opponent in the duel. *''Mulan: Before the Sword'', written by

Grace Lin Grace Lin (born May 17, 1974) is a Taiwanese-American children's writer and illustrator. She is a Newbery, Geisel, and Caldecott honoree, known for contributing to and advocating for Asian-American representation and diversity in children’s lite ...

(2020) and published by Disney Press, is written as a prequel to the Disney live action movie released in the same year.

Children's books

*''Wuloom Family'' (episode 5) - in Chinese *''The Ballad of Mulan'' by Song Nan Zhang (1998) – in English *''I am Hua Mulan'', by

Qin Wenjun Qin Wenjun (; born 1954) is an author of children's literature. She writes in Chinese. Life and work Qin Wenjun was born in Shanghai in 1954. In 1971, as one of the educated youth sent to work in the rural China, Qin was sent to a forested area in ...

, illust.

Yu Rong Yu Rong (郁蓉) is a Chinese illustrator of children's picture books, especially known for her use of papercutting artwork. Biography Born in China, Yu Rong first trained as a primary school teacher, then studied for a BA in Chinese Painting ...

(2017) – in Chinese *''Mulan: The Legend of the Woman Warrior'', by Faye-Lynn Wu, illustrated by

Joy Ang The word joy refers to the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, and is typically associated with feelings of intense, long lasting happiness. Dictionary definitions Dictionary definitions of joy typically include a sense of ...

(2019)

Video games

* ''

Kingdom Hearts II is a 2005 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in collaboration with Disney Interactive Studios, Buena Vista Games for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The game is a sequel to ''Kingdom Hearts (video game), King ...

'' - Mulan is an optional party member in the Land of Dragons. Note that this is the Disney version of the character. * ''

Smite ''Smite'' is a 2014 free-to-play, third-person multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Hi-Rez Studios for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, and Amazon Luna.Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV'', also known as , is the 14th installment in the ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' (Sangokushi) strategy game series by Koei. It was released on January 16, 2020, for the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows in ...

'' – Mulan is an unlockable Legendary officer that can be added at the beginning of new scenarios in the game. * ''

Civilization VI ''Sid Meier's Civilization VI'' is a turn-based strategy 4X video game developed by Firaxis Games, published by 2K Games, and distributed by Take-Two Interactive. The mobile port was published by Aspyr Media. The latest entry into the ''Civiliz ...

'' - Mulan is a summonable hero in the Heroes and Legends game mode * ''Goddess of Genesis'' - Mulan is a summonable hero through the game's

gacha Gacha may refer to: * Gashapon, a kind of toy that originated in Japan which is sold inside a plastic capsule. Commonly sold in vending machines ** Gacha game, video games that are monetized via a concept that is similar to gashapon. Comparable to ...

mechanism * ''

'' - Mulan video game from 1998, playable on a

Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...

. * Mulan is a playable character in the Mobile/PC Game

Rise of Kingdoms Rise or RISE may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world * Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3'' * Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...

Notes

Reference notes

References

External links

Information on the historical Mulan
a bilingual Chinese/English children's picture book

The original poem in Chinese and English side-by-side translation.
'The Ballad of Mulan': A Rhyming Translation
Translation by Evan Mantyk
''Hua_Mu_Lan''_(1939_film,_directed_by_Richard_Poh_[Bu_Wancang
/nowiki>),_with_English_subtitles.html" ;"title="u Wancang">''Hua Mu Lan'' (1939 film, directed by Richard Poh [Bu Wancang
/nowiki>), with English subtitles">u Wancang">''Hua Mu Lan'' (1939 film, directed by Richard Poh [Bu Wancang
/nowiki>), with English subtitlesbr>The female individual and the empire: A historicist approach to Mulan and Kingston's woman warrior
*[http://zhongwen.com/mulan.htm The poem in printed Chinese, with hyperlinks to definitions and etymologies] {{DEFAULTSORT:Mulan, Hua Mulan, Legendary Chinese people Chinese poems Chinese warriors Fictional cross-dressers Fictional Chinese people in literature Women warriors Fictional female generals Fictional Northern Wei people Women in ancient Chinese warfare People whose existence is disputed Heroes in mythology and legend