Everyone in Taiwan is familiar with the legend of Hua Mulan. Experts know that this young Chinese woman disguised herself as a man in order to take her father's place in the emperor's1 army. Mulan fought bravely and was given a horse for her services. However, the experts don't agree on every detail of her life. Some believe her last name was Zhu, while others think it was Wei. They also disagree on where and when she lived.
These questions about Mulan's past seem pretty easy to solve when they are compared to other legends from around the world. Take Lawrence of Arabia for example. Thomas Edward Lawrence was a real British officer. He wrote a book about his own role in leading the Great Arab Revolt2 during World War I. The film "Lawrence of Arabia" was based on the book and made Lawrence's story even more popular. Even so, historians3 still question the truth of his story. One side regards him as a great military mind4, while the other thinks he is a great liar. This month, National Geographic Channel's "Mystery5 Files 2" tries to put an end to this debate.
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