Located at Yingguo Town, 35km to the south of Yucheng County seat, Mulan temple was built in the Tang Dynasty, rebuilt and enlarged in Jin, Yuan and Qing Dynasties.
Up to the beginning of Republic of China, Mulan Temple covered an area of more than 10,000 square meters, with over 100 rooms, including the gate, the main hall, wing rooms and so on. In the main hall stands armed Hua Mulan statue with paintings bearing her story of enlisting in the army in place of her old father, battling in frontier and returning in triumph. There are two steles in the temple: one was set in 1334, and the other was set in 1806. Both steles recorded the whole story about heroine Mulan. The National Post Bureau held the ceremony of issuing memorial stamps of “Hua Mulan Joins the Army”.
Mulan is a household name in China, whose courageous deeds have been told generation by generation. Moreover, the American cartoon movie Hua Mulan spread the fame of this ancient heroine to the rest of the world.
Mulan was born at Yingguo Town, Yucheng County. In April 578 A.D., Turks invaded Youzhou (the area around Beijing at present), her father was called up. Considering her father's age, she dressed in man's suit and joined the army in place of her father. When she came back in triumph after 12 years of battling, the emperor was to honor her high position in the court but she declined. Back home, she redressed herself and resumed her normal life. In order to memorize the heroine, a memorial was constructed in her hometown Yingguo.
Now the Mulan Temple has been rebuilt and become a well known resort in the east of He'nan Province.
