presents

MULANYoung warrior woman who became one of China’s greatest heroines

Mulan Royal Armouries / Summer 2020 2

Make a Jian

By the time of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) this type of sword

was used for ceremonies and to show status rather than in battle.

Some jian swords were highly decorated, just like the example

you can see from the Royal Armouries collection.

A Jian is a type of Chinese sword. It has a straight

blade and both edges are sharp.

Follow the instructions below to create

your own, beautifully decorated Jian.

Draw a Jian shape on the cardboard.

Look at the shape of our Ming sword

above. A Jian is not the same shape as a

traditional knightly sword, it is long with

a rounded end. The part where you hold

it tapers in on both sides.

1

Cut out your shape. 2

Lay the cut out piece on your cardboard. Draw round it and then cut it out. You should now have 2 identical pieces.

3

Glue or tape the two pieces

together – this will make your

sword stronger. If you are

using thin cardboard you

could use several layers to

make your sword less flimsy.

4

Now it is time to decorate your Jian. A good way to make your sword look like it is made of silver is to wrap it in tin foil.

5

Now you can decorate the handle – our Jian has a dragon’s head but you can decorate it however you like.

6

We would love to see your finished Jians so please email pictures to educate.Leeds@armouries.org.uk

A long piece of thick cardboard Glue Sticky tape Scissors Pencil Colouring pencils, pens, and decorations Tin foil

You will need…

Choose your weapon

Answer these questions and see which weapon is for you.

Mulan Royal Armouries / Summer 2020 3

Would your friends describe

you as loud?

Do you wake up with lots of

energy?

Could you be rude to other

people?

Do you think you are a natural

leader?

Do you have a short

temper?

Could you eat a whole

cake?

Do you daydream in class?

Are you the first on the

dance floor?

Do you leave homework to the last minute?

No Yes No Yes

No Yes

No Yes No Yes

No Yes

No Yes

No Yes No Yes

Martial arts

Axe

Spear Bow & arrow

Sword Wet fish

Lots of heroes from legends, comics, movies and books often have a trusty

sidekick. In the Disney adaptation of Mulan, she has a dragon named

‘Mushu’ as her sidekick.

Mulan Royal Armouries / Summer 2020 4

Super Side-kick

Feeling artistic, why not have a go at drawing your sidekick. You

could even try turning your sidekick design into a sock puppet!

Who or what would you pick to be your sidekick? What do they

look like? Do they have any special skills or powers?

Mulan Royal Armouries / Summer 2020 5

F M L Y V E B M E C R E I F D

A G N O O N M M U L V E S W U

A N Y L I M A F H C R B U O H

C W S Y T R G O B D A R I N A

D M R O G D N A N B R A V E W

R D R A G B O C H I T A F R A

O W R D A Y L F A M O B G D U

W C H K R O I P O W R G Y O T

S T Y M U L A N G F A M Y G N

G H A T B A G D U T Y H F V A

N A M F N A T Y N O U O T R F

D R A I M A G N M K S N S T A

M A H C H O N F A M Y O V R M

R C A N A M U L T Y D U E S R

R A V E T F I E T S T R O N G

MULAN MAGNOLIA DRAGON

CHINA BRAVE STRONG

FAMILY SWORD DUTY

HONOUR FIERCE

Find the words listed below – they might be

horizontal, vertical or even diagonal. Good luck!Word Search

Get creativeColour in this picture of brave Mulan

Mulan Royal Armouries / Summer 2020 6