This scene is one of the most epic of all times. I'm amazed and quite agree with the Dragon theory as posted by others, while there is one MISSING important scene in the video which could be a conclusive explanation to the Dragon theory, the scene right after the horse ride - THE STONE DRAGON EYES FLICKER IN BLUE LIGHT IN THE ANCESTORS TEMPLE, and grandma (old people usually connect conversation with the ancestors in dreams) woke up to find Mulan gone. It means something about the gone protector Dragon of the family, in literal sense it's the instable position of the Dragon(s. ancestral guardians while indeed, it is Mulan. When Fa father and mother kneels in front of the door, grandma mumbles her prayer to the ancestors that Hoping the ancestors of all levels and family lines guard the Fa Family, and guard Mulan and the scene refers back to the dragon (ancestors) whom the Fa family still perceives are. Hope this completes little bit of the theory. If you watch the movie once again, this is never just a literal heroine movie coz Mulan never has thought of being a hero, the whole movie is about a journey of being true to the voice of the heart and finding oneself, and the bravery comes - the hero from heart. Just to let you know the word heroine in poetic yet strong Chinese translation is 巾幗英雄, 巾幗 is a word meaning something like the hair band. While 英雄 is hero (no gender difference literally) 巾幗 as a word before it completes the heroine picture where the female ties up the hair to fight. Hair indeed features an crucial meaning in Chinese culture also, or many other nations, that it is about longevity and dignity etc. Cutting the hair, in the Mulan movie, would then mean the change in identity and also the abandonment of feudal thoughts of female staying fine in appearance i.e. to get married to honour their family etc. Short Hair, as how the song is named is as what it means in this.