The legend is based on a medieval poem, “The Ballad of Mulan”. The ballad recounts the sacrifice of an officer’s daughter who decides to enlist in the emperor’s army with her family’s approval, in order to spare her family from an inevitable death. The tale is about four values: courage, humility, family and loyalty to one’s country.
Mulan is also a warrior who asserts herself in the midst of a very masculine world, showing that women are equal to men and
can be just as capable. People should not be judged by their gender.

Excerpt from the text:

In the northern steppes, the kingdom of the Great Khan is threatened by nomads eager for conquest. Mobilization is decreed to defend the empire against barbarian invasions! Mulan is in tears: her tired old father is called.