Pipa

Pipa, 琵琶 in Chinese, is one of the most popular Chinese folk music instruments. Known in ancient times in China, ”Pipa with a curving neck”, is a major plucked instrument introduced from Mesopotamia in west Asia to China towards the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and from West Region (modern Xinjiang) to the hinterland during the 4th century. After the Sui and Song Dynasty, the Pipa had become a major instrument. The preludes to virtually all the pieces of the music of the Tang Dynasty were played with the Pipa. A versatile instrument for solo, ensembles (with tow or more instruments) and accompaniment, the Pipa is known for its high expressiveness and its capacity for both the impassioned and heroic, and the graceful and subtle.
The famous poem “Song of the Pipa ” composed by Bai Juyi in Tang Dynasty, described a touching family story sung by a female musician with her excellent charming Pipa, which have been handed down generation by generation.