Kouxian, or ancient jaw harp, is the earliest string instrument that has been found in China. By placing kouxian between the lips and tapping it with the fingers, the instrument can produce sounds ...

(You may know it as a jew’s-harp, but it has no specific tie to the Jewish people.) It consists of a small frame with a stiff tine attached at one end; the musician holds the frame in his mouth ...

Qiang people either play kouxian solo, or as an ensemble. While most of the melodies performed by kouxian are love songs, some tunes express praise for heroes and/or heroines. During traditional ...