The Erhu

If you take a walk around the old city walls of Xi'an you will likely see someone playing an 'erhu.' The erhu is a two-stringed fiddle belonging to the 'huqin' family of instruments. 'Er' means 'two' and 'hu' indicates that it is a 'barbarian' instrument as it was introduced to China by non-Han peoples around 140 B.C. The erhu probably evolved from the 'Xiqin,' an instrument of the Xi people of Mongolia. The strings are tuned in fifths, usually D and A, and there is no fretboard to push the strings against. The soundbox is covered with python skin! In the past it was considered a low-class instrument because of it's foreign origination. Only in recent times has it become accepted and prominent in Chinese orchestras and operas. Much of it's current popularity can be credited to the composer Liu Tian Hua. After receiving a classical music education, Liu started learning erhu from folk musicians. He mastered the instrument and composed many beautiful tunes for solo erhu, the most famous being 'The Second Spring Reflects the Moon.' Today the erhu is widespread and is even considered a symbol of Chinese culture.