Traditional Chinese music and Instruments

Chinese music is played solo or in groups. The instruments that are popular are stringed instruments, flutes, cymbals, gongs and drums. A traditional woodwind instrument from China is called a sheng. It is the main instrument used in Chinese operas. It is a mouth blown reed instrument with vertical pipes of different lengths. The Zhonghu is a traditional stringed instrument. It was developed in the 20th century. It is a low sounding instrument and it is the alto member to the Huqin family. Ethnic Han is the main type of music. The music is similar to the Chinese language. The music is portrayed in a poetry like manner with silences throughout. After the collapse of Imperial China, many different types of Western music have become popular in China.