The story of Mulan might be the best known piece of Chinese folklore. In China the story has been around for over 1500 years and has inspired dozens of poems, songs, plays, and films. Thanks to Disney, Mulan has become an international icon. The story of a young girl disguising herself as a male soldier to save her father from the military draft has proved to be surprisingly sturdy. However, many in China have complained that western adaptations of the tale misunderstand the source material. Some wonder if western creators are capable of capturing the “real” Mulan. This raises the question: is there a real Mulan? Is one version of this story more authoritative than another? Was there a real person who inspired this legend? Tune-in and find out how teenage siege-breakers, army buddies, and flexible Confucians all play a role in the story.

Works Cited

Davis, Rebecca. “China Hates Disney’s ‘Mulan,’ but It Has Nothing to Do with Politics.” Variety, Variety, 15 Sept. 2020, variety.com/2020/film/asia/why-china-hates-disney-mulan-1234770198/#. 

Dong, Lan. Mulan’s Legend and Legacy in China and the United States. Temple University Press, 2011.

Faughnder, Ryan, and Alice Su. “How Disney’s ‘Mulan’ Became One of 2020’s Most Controversial Movies.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sept. 2020, www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-09-11/disneys-mulan-debuts-in-china-heres-why-its-controversial.

Kwa, Shiamin, and W. L. (Wilt L. ). Idema. Mulan : Five Versions of a Classic Chinese Legend with Related Texts. Hackett Pub. Co., 2010.

Young, Jingan. “The Problem with Mulan: Why the Live-Action Remake Is a Lightning Rod for Controversy.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 7 Sept. 2020, www.theguardian.com/film/2020/sep/07/mulan-disney-live-action-remake-hong-kong-china.