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Xinjiang Uyghur Musical Instrument – Ghijek

The Ghaychak or Ghijek is a round-bodied musical instrument with three or four metal strings and a short fretless neck. Ghijek is very popular throughout Central Asia. It is used by Iranians, Afghans, Uzbeks, Uyghurs, Tajiks, Turkmens and Qaraqalpaks. CompositionGhidjak is the only bow instrument found in the Pamirs. Ghijek is usually carved from the wood [...]

Dutar -Xinjiang Uyghur Musical Instrument

Dutar is a two string pear-shaped long-necked lute from western China, played by the Uyghur and Uzbek people of Xinjiang Province.Dutar ( Dutor or Dotar ) is the main plucked instrument all over Central Asia. It can be found in many different shapes and styles, but Uyghur Dutar is the largest in form, and Kashgar [...]

Xinjiang Uyghur Musical Instrument – Khushtar

Khushtar, meaning Lilting Strings, is a bowed-string instrument played by the Uyghur people. It is commonly found in Urumqi of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, western border of China and Turkestan. Khushtar is named for the bird that is carved on top of the handle. Khush means bird, and tar means strings. The sound of [...]

Xinjiang Uyghur Musical Instrument – Tambur

Tambur is another long-neck lute from Central Asia that exists in different shapes, and is the wire-strung companion of Dutar . Tambur has a pre-Islamic history in the Middle East. It has been found in Ancient Persia and Baghdad Iraq during the Akkadian era (3rd millennium B.C.). In the Sassanid period 5 to 6 century C.E., [...]

Xinjiang Uyghur Musical Instruments

Uygur music is accompanied by a variety of instruments. The present Uygur music instruments are developed from ancient instruments from the Western Region and also from modern China and foreign instruments. The major instruments are stringed, wind and percussion instruments. Here we introduce five typical instruments, namely Dutar, Tämbür , Rawap , Khushtar , and [...]

Hulusi, Oriental Saxophone

If you like playing and collecting Chinese musical instruments, Hulusi will not disappoint you.Originationnatural gourd and bamboo pipe Hulusi natural gourd and sandalwood pipe Hulusi Hulusi is the free wind instrument of Chinese folk music. It is originated from ethnic Dai tribe in Yunnan in the Southwest China, which can be traced back to Qin [...]

Bawu – A Talking Instrument

Bawu is a free reed musical instrument of China folk music. It is played by the Dai, Hani, Miao, Yi in southwest China.bamboo Bawu with detachable pipeA Beautiful LegendThere is a beautiful legend about the origin of theBawu. Two young people from Hani tribe fell in love with each other. One day a demon grabbed [...]

How to Play Bawu

Constructure of BawuBawu reed and mouthpieceBawu is composed of three parts.Main Pipe is the melody pipe. It has seven sound holes, 6 in the front, 1 in the back. The main pipe enables nine full tones and eight semi-tones /combined-tones.Reed is located inside the top end of the main pipe. Most of them are made [...]

How to Play Hulusi

Hulusi is played vertically and has three pipes which connect with the gourd wind chest. It has a very pure, clarinet-like sound.MaterialThe traditional materials for making Hulusi are bamboo and gourd. Bamboo is used for the pipes and gourd is used for the wind chest. Nowadays many new materials are used to replace bamboo and [...]

Nuo Drama the Living fossil of Chinese Drama (I)

Nuo, also called the Nuo sacrifice, or Nuo ceremony, was originally a type of sacrificial and magic ritual, which was held to expel evil spirits and pestilence during the last month of the Chinese lunar year. Later, Nuo evolved into a dance drama.OriginIts name is derived from one such ritual, where people shouted “Nuo!, Nuo!”, [...]