17. Mulan is introduced to the west
Outside of China, the tale of Mulan was virtually unknown for more than 15 centuries. Other than those who studied Chinese history, literature, and the arts, few in the western world had ever heard of her story. In 1976, Chinese-American writer Maxine Hong Kingston (born Maxine Ting Ting Hong) published a book titled The Woman Warrior. Part autobiography, part cultural viewpoint, the book relates experiences in the author’s life and compares them with Chinese folk tales and traditions. As a first-generation daughter of Chinese immigrants, the author heard the tales from her parents while growing up. One such tale, heard from her mother, was that of Fa Mu Lan.
The book has drawn criticism and praise since it was issued, with some critics decrying it for stereotyping Chinese culture and pandering to its American audience. Others accused it of fictionalizing Chinese history. The author published a defense of her work in an essay in 1982. The book also had many fans, was selected as one of the best non-fiction books of the decade (TIME Magazine), and sold well. Still, despite the presence of the Mulan story, which gave the heroine yet another surname, it did not generate widespread knowledge of the tale in the Western world. Mulan remained a largely unknown tale of Chinese folklore and legend.