Do you love the Disney film about Mulan? Did you get a major ‘last song syndrome or LSS’ by the song, Reflection?
Recently, Disney released a teaser trailer of the movie Mulan. It originally came out as a Disney cartoon movie in 90s. This time it is a live-action remake with the titular role played by popular Chinese actress, Liu Yifei. The release Mulan is temporarily delayed because of COVID-19, but fans are eagerly waiting to see the movie.
Learn more about Mulan’s Chinese name, some Chinese words, and inspiring quotes from Mulan and her legendary story in China.
The Legendary Story of Mulan
Mulan or Hua Mulan 花木兰 is a legendary heroine of ancient China. Her heroism and love for China were retold in the Chinese poetry Ballad of Mulan. Her story was later made into a Walt Disney film, titled Mulan in 1998.
Huā Mùlán was a brave warrior who disguised herself as a man to enter the Chinese army. During that time, China was in the middle of a great war and with the command of the Emperor, one man from each family was to serve in the army.
Seeing his ailing father, Mùlán took matters into her own hands, cut her hair short, put on her father’s robe and tucked her sword. Trained by his father at an early age, Mùlán was skilled in Kung Fu and was a skilled soldier. Not long after, she was appointed the General of the entire army.
However, a bad fever swept into the Chinese army and while under treatment, the doctor found out she was a woman. With her secret out in the open, his fellow soldiers were in disbelief and accused her of trickery. But at that moment, a surprise attack was on its away and Mulan led the soldiers to fight.
The battle was won and from then on, Mùlán became a well-respected soldier and a highly revered figure by the Chinese Emperor. Today, her legacy leads on as her story is told in schools across China.
Chinese Words From Mulan
Chinese people place their family name before their given name. Let’s dissect Mulan’s name:
- Family name – Huā 花 which means flower.
- Given name – Mùlán 木兰 which means magnolia.
- Complete name – Huā Mùlán 花木兰
The magnolia flower is a sacred symbol of China in ancient times. As for Mulan’s real family name, there are different information throughout history.
Although many books use Huā Mùlán 花木兰, in the text History of the Ming, her family name is Zhu, but in History of the Qing, it is Wei. The only certain information is that she was connected to the 4th or 5th century A.D. history of China.
Here are other important Chinese words in Mùlán:
- Female hero – nǚ yīngxióng heroine 女英雄
- Join the army taking her ailing father’s place – tì fù cóng jūn 替父从军
- Pose as a man – nǚ bàn nán zhuāng 女扮男装
Chinese Inspiring Quotes from Mulan
1. “My name is Mulan! I did it to save my father.”
Wǒ jiào mùlán! Wǒ zhèyàng zuò shì wèile wǎnjiù wǒ de fùqīn.
我叫木兰！我这样做是为了挽救我的父亲。
2. “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.” – Emperor
Zài nìjìng zhōng shèngkāi de huā shì suǒyǒu zhíwù zhòng zuì xīyǒu hé zuì měilì de.
在逆境中盛开的花是所有植物中最稀有和最美丽的。
3. “No matter how the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it.” – Emperor
Wúlùn fēng rúhé hūxiào, shān dū bùnéng xiàng tā dītóu.
无论风如何呼啸，山都不能向它低头。
4. “When will my reflection show who I am inside?” – Mulan
Wǒ de fǎnsī hé shí huì xiǎnshì wǒ zài lǐmiàn?
我的反思何时会显示我在里面？
5. “I will bring honor to us all.” – Mulan
Wǒ huì gěi wǒmen dàjiā dài lái róngyù.
我会给我们大家带来荣誉。
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