Mount Yanran is now called Delgerhangay Uul in central modern-day Mongolia, about 800 km (500 miles) northwest of Black Mountain. Mount Yanran is where an Eastern Han Dynasty inscription was made in 89 AD about a Chinese victory over the Xiongnu. Now Shahukou (‘Kill-Tiger-Mouth’ - the Mongols were referred to as ‘tigers’) is a small village 80 km (50 miles) west of Datong on the Shanxi / Inner Mongolia border. Shahukou Pass was one of the key Great Wall fortified passes. Most of them took place between Black Mountain and Mount Yanran.īlack Mountain is the modern-day Shahukou Mountain, which is located about 480 kilometers west of Beijing. Many wars occurred between the Northern Wei and its neighbor states during its existence. The Rouran Khanate (394–552) was a major Mongolian state, covering most of modern-day Mongolia. They became sinicized by the Tang Dynasty (618–907), and so the Ballad of Mulan became part of popular Chinese culture. The Northern Wei Dynastywere initially a nomadic Mongol people too, called the Xianbei (who also used the title Khan, a title which appears in the Ballad of Mulan). The Rouran are referred to as the Xiongnu in the translation of the Ballad of Mulan below. The Rouran were probably the last of a people called the Xiongnu who were a northern threat to “China” since the 3rd century BC. The Rouran Khanate were the first Mongolic people to use the title Khan for their leaders. In 429, the emperor (khan) of Northern Wei led an army to fight Rouran, which according to the Ballad of Mulan lasted 12 years. Which Countries Was Mulan’s War Between?īased on Chinese historical documents, a real war happened between the Northern Wei state and a Mongolic state called Rouran. The Ballad of Mulan was created during the late Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534), during which period the northern region of Han China was frequently invaded by the Hun (Xiongnu) people along the northern border. After she changed into her own clothing at home, her comrades were all shocked that she was a girl. When she returned and attended the court after the army’s victory, she didn’t want any official reward but just asked to be reunited with her family. The gist of the ballad tells of how Hua Mulan replaced her aging father to serve the country, disguised herself as a man, and fought bravely in the army. In China, Mulan is a byword for heroines and Mulan’s story is a household tale to encourage girls to be brave or to “make a man out of you” as the popular saying goes nowadays. The Ballad of Mulan has been a popular tale since the Tang Dynasty (618–907). It is a short folk story comprised of 392 Chinese characters that was created in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534). The Chinese mùlán means ‘magnolia flower’. Mulan is based on an ancient Chinese folk story called the Ballad of Mulan (木兰辞 Mùlán Cí).