This is one of the oldest varieties of Chinese instruments. It first appears in 551 BC during the Zhou Dynasty (1111 to 222 BC). It consists of a bundle of between 17 to 36 pipes seated on a small wind chamber. A free brass reed is placed in the root of the instrument. Coming in soprano, alto, and tenor models, they have a great clarity of tone, and compensate for the lack of brass in tutti orchestration. Tutti orchestration means that all instruments are to take part. We bought this instrument in a shop in Zhengzhou, Henan.