Hua Mulan

Hua Mulan is a legendary Chinese folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century AD) of Chinese history. Hua Mulan is depicted in the Wu Shuang Pu (, Table of Peerless Heroes) by Jin Guliang.

Overview According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as a man, as there were no other male relatives of-age in her family. In the story, after prolonged and distinguished military service against nomadic barbarian tribes beyond the northern frontier, Mulan is honored by the emperor, but she declines a position of high office, asking only for a horse for her return home. She retires to her hometown, where she is reunited with her family and, much to the astonishment of her comrades, reveals herself as a woman after 12 years of traveling together.

First mentions The first known written record of Mulan is the Ballad of Mulan, a folk song believed to have been composed during the Northern Wei regime (386–535 AD) and included in an anthology of books and songs during the Southern Chen dynasty (557–589 AD). While this anthology is itself lost, significant excerpts, including the Ballad of Mulan, survive in the Song dynasty anthology .

The historical setting of the Ballad of Mulan is usually the Northern Wei's military campaigns against the nomadic Rouran. A later adaptation has Mulan active around the founding of the Tang dynasty .

The story of Mulan was taken up in a number of later works, including the 17th-century work of historical fiction Romance of Sui and Tang, and many screen and stage adaptations.