Mulan Joins the Army (play) explained

Mulan Joins the Army (Chinese:木蘭從軍, simplified 木兰从军 Mulan congjun) is a 1917 Chinese-language play, which was one of the first plays and films with this title on the Hua Mulan story. It is notable for the casting of Beijing Opera legend Mei Lanfang as the heroine.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Notes and References

1. Stephanie J. Webster-Cheng Composing, Revising, and Performing Suzhou Ballads 2008 "A contrasting example is the renowned Peking opera performer Mei Lanfang‟s depiction of Mulan as a “patriot and a voice for women‟s equal rights” in the play Mulan Joins the Army (Mulan Congjun) (1917) (Li, 85)."
2. Siu Leung Li Cross-Dressing in Chinese Opera -- 2003 - Page 85 "this woman warrior in his Beijing opera play Mulan congjun [Mulan joins the army], first performed in 1917, with the intention of arousing the nationalism and patriotism of the Chinese people against foreign imperialism and promoting sexual ...
3. Laikwan Pang - The Distorting Mirror: Visual Modernity in China 2007 -- Page 90 "Mulan congjun (Mulan joins the army), which was modeled after the traditional story of Hua Mulan, who joins the army in her father's place, was first performed in 1917 and was one of the key performances that brought Mei Lanfang.."