• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Historyplex

Historyplex

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Articles

Mulan History: From Ancient China to Disney

Home / Historical Figures / Mulan History: From Ancient China to Disney

Mulan history dates back behind the 1998 Disney film by at least 1600 years! However, many modern kids only know her as she appears in that film and in the 2020 remake. The character represents cultural movements in China’s representation of women in its Northern Wei Period, which took place from around 386 to 535 CE. Mulan’s been converted into a singing soldier, but how much of her original character remains?

Read on to learn Mulan history from her most likely creation date to her use in popular culture today. No matter what you know about the Disney films, this article will teach you about the real Mulan.

Early Mulan History: The Poem of Mulan

The Poem of Mulan is a 6th-century work that demonstrates changes in China’s treatment of women in that time period. As Mongolian and Turkish immigration increased, the Chinese were influenced by their commonly accepted morals associated with women in society. These included virtue and devotion.

The plot echoes the Disney version loosely. A young girl takes her father’s place in the army where she serves her country well and returns to her family with great honor. One huge difference between the poem and the animated film, however, is that Mulan’s gender is never revealed to the other soldiers in the original.

Instead, she serves her country and no one suspects her femininity. After over a decade of decorated service, she returns home. Thus, when she puts her female clothes back on, she shocks the men who had served with her.

What difference does this make? Whereas the Disney version focuses on her ability to fight “against” the standards of her day, the original poem was more about how gender distinctions disappear if we don’t have the symbols that make us think about them.

The Sequels to Mulan

No, I’m not talking about the direct-to-video Disney film, Mulan II. The original poem received several updates, the first from the Tang Dynasty called Song of Mulan. In the 16th century, The Female Mulan appeared on the stage and introduced the idea of Mulan getting married at the end.

The character continued to change throughout the years. This climaxed in 1939 with Mulan Joins the Army, a Chinese film in which Mulan becomes a strict nationalistic warrior who prioritizes the needs of China above everything else. It has only a whisper of the original’s devotion to virtue.

The Disney versions (in 1998 and 2020) mix the preceding ones. Therefore, they contain both themes of piety and of nationalism. In the cartoon, Mulan shows feminine strength and a love of country. In the 2020 version, she surrenders feminine virtues to be a warrior, thus making it similar to the 1939 version.

The character has had surprising longevity for people to still know her name. This testifies to the original and its impact on world culture.

The Takeaway

Mulan history begins over 1,000 years ago in a poem that reflected changing standards in the values of Chinese culture. Thanks to numerous adaptations, she remains a well-known cultural figure and literary hero.

Like it? Share it!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
« Previous Post
Next Post »

Category iconHistorical Figures Tag iconChina,  Chinese History,  films,  historical figures,  history,  movies,  world history

Get Updates Right to Your Inbox

Sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles from our site automatically each week (give or take)...right to your inbox.
Blog Updates

Further Insights

">Drive Thru History Ancient Arches
">Drive Thru History: A Brief Guide to the Online Courses
January 31, 2021
">History of Mobile Phones iPhone
">History of Mobile Phones: From Bulky to Ubiquitous
January 29, 2021
">History of Forensic Science Lab Workers
">History of Forensic Science: From the Ancients to the Present
January 27, 2021

Primary Sidebar

Search

Latest Articles

Drive Thru History Ancient Arches

Drive Thru History: A Brief Guide to the Online Courses

History of Mobile Phones iPhone

History of Mobile Phones: From Bulky to Ubiquitous

History of Forensic Science Lab Workers

History of Forensic Science: From the Ancients to the Present

Tom Holland Historian Ancient Rome

Tom Holland Historian: Major Works of the BBC Presenter

Exploring the website?

Our site includes quite a bit of content, so if you're having an issue finding what you're looking for, go on ahead and use that search feature there!

Footer

We hope you enjoy this website. We've created informative articles that you can come back to again and again when you have questions or want to learn more!
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Copyright © Historyplex & Buzzle.com, Inc.
6789 Quail Hill Pkwy, Suite 211 Irvine CA 92603

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsAccept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT