![]() Like the movie, the poem describes Mulan answering the imperial draft order in her father’s stead and dressing as a man. The original poem is only 31 paired couplets. Nevertheless, Disney’s animated retelling is relatively true to the poem if you overlook certain aspects like Mushu. In Cantonese, her name would be Fa Muklaan.īeyond the “Ballad of Mulan,” there is no evidence to indicate whether Mulan was a real person or a myth. ![]() That’s true but Mulan is the Mandarin pronunciation. Zhu means “vermillion.” When called out on the name change, Disney responded by saying that Fa was the Cantonese pronunciation of Hua. Wei is the name of a ruling kingdom during the Warring states period from 430 to 225 BCE. Hua means “flower,” but sometimes she’s Wei Mulan or Zhu Mulan. Most of the time, it’s Hua Mulan (remember surnames precede given names in Asia). In the original poem, she is only referred to as Mulan, which is a given name. Mulan means “magnolia,” which is why magnolia flowers are so prominent in that movie. Fortunately, “Ballad of Mulan” was preserved in an 11th century anthology, Music Bureau Collection, compiled by Guo Maoqian, who thoughtfully attributed the poem’s source.Ĭuriously, Disney changed Mulan’s name to Fa Mulan. She is first documented in a 6th century heroic poem titled “Ballad of Mulan.” That poem was part of a lost collection titled Musical Records of Old and New. But what was the origin of Mulan?Īccording to legend, Hua Mulan lived in the Northern Wei Era which was from 386 to 536 CE. To make it in China, Mulan must return to her roots. In China, Disney’s first Mulan feature flopped because audiences saw it as a Western appropriation of her legend, one that reduced Mulan’s epic heroism into caricature. But Disney is hoping for an international blockbuster, especially in that lucrative Chinese film market, and many Asian fans were relieved to hear of the planned changes. When it was announced that the new live-action film would not include the songs or her mini-dragon sidekick Mushu, fans of the “original” were disappointed. Her story was commonly known across Asia long before Disney’s animated feature, and it’s that story (as much as the animated feature) that makes up the inspiration for the new film. Mulan, in 1998 and now, is based on an ancient Chinese legend. While the upcoming Mulan might look like yet another relatively straight adaptation of a previous animated film, it’s not quite the same. Disney has been killing it with live-action remakes of their beloved animated movie catalog. ![]()
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