In the story, Mulan disguises herself as a man to take her elderly father's place in the army. After completing his service in the army, the Emperor offers him the highest honors. However, Mulan does not want to continue in the army, and asks only for a horse to return to the parental home. When her former army comrades come to visit her, they are shocked to see her dressed as a woman, as they never suspected her true identity. The poem ends with the image of a female hare (Mulan) and a male hare (her companions) running together, and the narrator asking if anyone would be able to tell them apart.

The period in which the story takes place is uncertain. The first testimonies of the legend state that he lived during the Northern Wei dynasty (北魏 Běi Wèi, 386-534). However, another version holds that Mulan was requested as a concubine by Emperor Sui Yangdi (reigned 604-617). Some evidence of the poem points to the first interpretation. The Emperor ("Son of Heaven") is also called "hi Khan" (son of the wind), a title used by rulers descended from the Xianbei nation in ancient China. The rulers of the Northern Wei dynasty were of Xianbei ethnicity. On the other hand, the reference to the "Khan" could reflect the date of composition of the poem, and not the time of the events.

The Heroine Mulan Goes to War in Her Father's Place (1593): In the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) playwright Xu Wei (d. 1593) published a novel based on the traditional ballad.

Hua Mulan Joins the Army (1927): Silent version directed by Hou Yao. It is considered a lost film.

Mulan Joins the Army (1928): Silent version produced by the Tianyi Film Company.

Mulan Joins the Army (1939): The first film versions of the legend made in China date from 1927 and 1928 and Mulan Joins the Army, released in 1939 in the midst of the Sino-Japanese War, was especially successful.

Saga of Mulan (1995): Version of the Peking opera that was made into a movie, directed by Xiao Lang and Qiu Lili.

Mulan (1998): In 1998, the American production company Disney released an animated film titled Mulan, freely inspired by the legend. In 2005–2006, the film gave rise to one of the levels in the Kingdom Hearts II video game.

Mulan 2 (2004): Disney also made a second part of Mulan directly for home video in 2004.

Hua Mulan (2009): In December 2009, the Chinese blockbuster Hua Mulan by director Jingle Ma, based on the legend of the Chinese heroine, was released. The film was presented at the Cannes festival and stars Zhao Wei in the role of Mulan. It also has the participation, both in the performance and in the soundtrack, of the singer Vitas.

Once Upon a Time: The character has appeared on the series in a recurring role, played by actress Jamie Chung.

Mulan (2020): Disney shot the real-image version of his film, directed by director Niki Caro and after an intense search, the studio announced Liu Yifei for the leading role, who on occasion has also been credited by name by Crystal Liu, giving life to the Asian heroine. The premiere was scheduled for March 27, 2020, but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Matchless Mulan (2020): Live action version directed by Chen Cheng and released almost in parallel with Mulan (2020), located ten years after Mulan went to war. It was released directly on YouTube.

Unparalleled Mulan (2020): Chinese live-action production directed by Lin Yi, which was released directly on Youku. Set years after the war, with Mulan already turned into a General.

Mulan Legend (2020): Also known as Mulan: Desert Rescue. Directed by He Jia Nan, it tells the heroic story of Mulan leading the rescue team to save the Princess of Rouran.

|The insects celebrate the afternoon with their song.
Mulan is knitting in front of the door.
You can't hear the shuttle turn,
only the cries of the girl.
They ask where your heart is.
They ask where your thinking is.
He's thinking of nothing
if not in King Kong, his beautiful lover.
The army list occupies twelve rolls
and his father's name is on all of them.
There is no eldest son for the father,
an older brother than Mulan.
"I'll go buy a horse and a saddle,
I will go to fight for our father.
He has bought a carriage horse in the East,
He has bought a chair and cushion in the west,
has bought a bridle in the south
He has bought a good whip in the north.
At dawn he says goodbye to his father and mother;
when it gets dark, camp by the Yellow River.
He no longer hears the call of his father and mother,
just the splash of the horse in the water.
At dawn he leaves the Yellow River;
when night falls, he arrives at the Black Mountain.
He no longer hears the call of his father and mother,
only the horses neighing in the mountains.
the gusts of the north wind brought sounds of iron,
armor gleamed in the moonlight.
There the generals fighting a hundred battles
they died, and after having given ten years
the soldiers returned home, brave.
Back, she is received by the Son of the Sun,
who sits in the Hall of Radiances.
Awarded him medals for his many merits,
offers you crispy duck wings by the thousands.
The Khan has asked him what he wants to do now.
"Mulan doesn't need official honors,
give me a robust donkey with very light hooves
and send me back to my parents' house."
When their parents hear their daughter approaching,
the two go out to see her, elbowing each other.
When he hears his sister that his sister is coming,
it is arranged and placed in front of the door.
When he hears his brother that his sister is approaching,
Sharpens the knife, sacrifices a lamb.
"I have opened the door of my eastern room,
and in the western one I have sat on the bed.
I took off the armor I wore in the war
and I have put on the clothes that I wore in another time.
In front of the mirror, near the window
I have combed my matted hair
and I have adorned my forehead with golden petals.
When Mulan came out before her comrades,
everyone was surprised, being perplexed.
Twelve years they were with her in the army
and no one knew that it was a girl.
The rabbit's feet jump more,
the female's eyes are somewhat smaller,
but when you see a couple running across the field,
who can tell the female from the male?