Song of Mulan is a long narrative folk song of northern China in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The song narrates the story of a girl named Mulan who disguised as a man and joined the army in place of her father. She feared no hardships and fought for ten years and made outstanding military feats. After return triumphal, she was unwilling to be granted the title of an official but only desired to recover her former status of a common woman. The song depicts the immortal character of Mulan, who is vivid and moving, and of legendary color as well. Mulan is a woman of outstanding ability, and a common person at the same time. She is not only a heroine but also a common girl. She is the combination of a brave warrior and a beautiful girl. She is industrious and kind yet fortitude and brave, honest and modest yet alert and energetic, loves her family yet makes her contribution for the country. She does not admire high post with handsome salary but is enthusiastic for a peaceful life. For over a thousand years, the story that Mulan went to the army in place of her father has become a household story in China and the image of Mulan has always been loved by people. The song has profound folk song character and described many life scenes and loves between the young people, so it is rich in the trace of life. In the long spreading process, Song of Mulan has remained the character of folk songs that is easy to remember and recite.
Song of Mulan is also a Yuefu poem. Yuefu (Music Bureau) was originally the music institution set at the reign of Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty. The responsibility of the institution was in charge of the music played in the palaces and to collect folk songs and music. After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Yuefu became the name of a type of poems while the poems collected and sang by the Yuefu (Music Bureau) of the Han Dynasty were collectively called Yuefu poems. Yuefu poems are mostly the songs popular among the people and their forms can be in five words, seven words and irregular lyric. They pay close attention to narration; thus, demonstrate the social lives of the ancient times. Together with The Book of Songs, the Yuefu poems laid the realistic foundation for the Chinese poems. They are the precious heritage in the history of poem of China.
The Anthology of Yuefu Poetry compiled by Guo Maoqian of the Song Dynasty includes one hundred volumes. It is the most complete collection of Yuefu poetry that includes abundant materials. The collected works can be divided into two parts, i.e., the southern songs and the northern songs. Song of Mulan is selected from the collection.
