Bowed instruments are stringed instruments that are played with a bow and are similar to the violin. Some examples are the banhu , the erhu , the gaohu , the gehu and the zhonghu . Wind instruments are blown into to create sound and can be compared to the flute. Some examples are the di , the sheng and the xiao . Percussion instruments make noise by contact and can be compared to the drums.
Some examples are the bells, the cymbals, the gu , the luo , the muyu and the junlou .
There are many different types of Chinese music. A lot of this is because there are so many different cultural groups within China. A popular theme in the Han music is maidens picking flowers. One of the forms of Chinese Music is the Chinese Opera. In the past, these operas told stories that dealt with the supernatural and heroes.