What is Erhu? The Most Popular Traditional Musical Instruments in China

Erhu (Chinese:二胡), is a traditional Chinese bowed instrument which was started in Tang Dynasty. It was known as Chinese Violin or Chinese two-stringed fiddle. Erhu has only two strings, a thick one and a thin one. The tones of Erhu in middle and high range are close to people’s voice that can express almost every human emotion that makes it popular with the masses.

Erhu was played only as an accompanied instrument in folk performances and operas in the past long period. It is in 1920s that Erhu became a solo instrument in stages by player Liu Tianhua. During the same period, there was a famous blind Erhu player named Abing; he is the image of Erhu even today and his masterpiece The Moon over a Fountain (Chinese:二泉映月) is enduring that every Erhu player still practice today.