![]() To be sure, women have received unfair treatment in Chinese society and have been at times excluded from martial arts traditions, among other areas of Chinese culture. This is unlike a Western concept of masculinity and femininity as conflicting, opposing forces, under which men and women idealistically must be wholly masculine or feminine. Qi is not gendered rather, masculine and feminine energy are represented in Chinese culture through yin-yang (moon and sun), which exist in harmony. Those who practice the disciplines of qigong or tai chi work seek to manipulate their existing qi or improve its circulation rather than “increasing” the amount of qi they naturally have. It’s a power that she cannot reveal lest she be branded as a witch, as “only a son could wield qi.” Qi is not some sort of magical Chinese testosterone that is found in abundance in male warriors. The attempts at depicting Chinese themes or cultural values revealed the production team’s total lack of understanding of Chinese culture, history, art, or philosophy.Ī distorted view of gender and Chinese cultureĬhi or qi (氣), the energy or life force that is found in all living things, is somehow turned into Mulan’s special magic power. The entire premise, plot, and character arc of the film were built on Western concepts of universal sex, gender, and womanhood. It fails to paint the picture of that context, downplaying the significance of Mulan’s story, her actions, character development, intelligence, and loyalty. That Mulan has been a subversive story set in the context of patriarchal Chinese culture is what makes this latest live-action remake’s depiction so egregious. ![]() Beyond Mulan, there are many examples of female warriors in the Wuxia genre that solidified my place in the canon of warrior women. This stood in contrast to the depictions of white American womanhood with which I have never been able to identify. For a young tomboy like me, knowing that there was precedent for Chinese women who enjoyed martial arts and roughhousing with boys gave me a sense of belonging in Chinese culture. from Taiwan, would read the story of Hua Mulan to me in Mandarin at bedtime. Even before Disney’s animated Mulan was released, my parents, immigrants to the U.S. Whenever I think of the story of Mulan, I have fond memories from my childhood.
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