200 years ago a young woman brought the greatest empire in Asia to its knees. She was a master of kung fu and held the respect of 60,000 warriors who followed her unquestioningly into battle. Their enemy was the brutal and corrupt Qing dynasty — a dynasty they were determined to overthrow. The fate of China was in one woman's hands. Her name was Wang Cong'er. Is she the real Mulan? Well, there is much debate about whether Mulan ever really existed but there is no doubt that the tradition of women warriors is woven into the fabric of Chinese history. And the most remarkable of them all was Wang Cong'er.

• Lucy Lawless