It actually originated in China and evolved into what it is today during the 13th century, which is when it became known as the sanxian. It has a small body and is covered on both sides with snake skin. The yangqin is also known as the Chinese hammered dulcimer. It is played with hammers made of thin bamboo. Like many instruments, the yangqin is much more complicated than its ancestor.
Some versions have a dampening pedal.
The yangqin is extremely popular as an orchestral, ensemble, and solo instrument. The yueqin evolved from the ruan. It has kept the circular body of the ruan, but with no sound holes. It has a range of about two octaves. The zheng has a long rectangular body with 21 strings and separate bridges for each string.