BROADCASTS.com

(Lucy) Mulan\xa0is a story without a single historical precedent. From a medieval ballad to early modern narratives to plays and operas, it\u2019s been told over and over again. Mulan\u2019s exploits are always presented as having happened \u201conce upon a time,\u201d anytime from the Han dynasty to the early Tang period. These stories about a fierce heroine and her loyalties tell us a lot about changing ideas of gender and cultural identity in China.