| − | The Ballad of Mulan is an epic Chinese poem from the Tang Dynasty. The main character is Hua Mulan, a young woman who takes her sickly father's place in the army. She dies in combat, and when her father receives notice of the death of his son, he realizes what she had done. He mourns her for five years, then he dies as well. | + | '''The Ballad of Mulan''' ([[Simplified Chinese|Simplified]]: 铧木栏; [[Traditional Chinese|Traditional]]: 鏵木欄) is an epic [[Chinese]] [[poem]] from the [[Tang Dynasty]]. The main character is Hua Mulan, a young woman who takes her sickly father's place in the army. She dies in combat, and when her father receives notice of the death of his son, he realizes what she had done. He mourns her for five years, then he dies as well. |
| − | Hua Mulan may be based on a real person who lived during the Sui Dynasty. However, she did not die. She was discovered before she was sent to war. The Emperor was so impressed by her piety to her father that he exempted the father from service and brought Hua Mulan into his court. | + | Hua Mulan may be based on a real person who lived during the [[Sui Dynasty]]. However, she did not die. She was discovered before she was sent to war. The Emperor was so impressed by her piety to her father that he exempted the father from service and brought Hua Mulan into his court. |