3 unusual Chinese musical instruments that have experts confused

Shaped like a fish, tiger and box respectively, the muyu, yu, and zhu are percussion instruments that all fall under the wood classification

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The muyu is a Chinese musical percussion instrument that falls under the wood category. It originated in China and is to this day used by Buddhist monks and followers across Asia. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15pm, 23 Oct 2024

This is the ninth in a series of articles about classical Chinese instruments and the traditional Chinese music orchestra, in which we explore how musicians play the eight different types of instrument, and their history.

Wood is a common material in many Chinese musical instruments, but relatively few are classified as wooden under the system that assigns instruments to one of eight categories, the bayin. That is because their wooden parts are not used directly to produce music.

For instance, the Chinese zither, or guqin, and the erhu, a Chinese fiddle, are placed under the silk category, since the strings that produce their sound were traditionally made of silk.

Likewise, despite the drum’s body being made of wood, it falls under the category of animal-skin instruments because that is what drumheads were traditionally made of.

The instruments that are classified as wood instruments are percussion instruments that are usually played for symbolic purposes in rituals rather than to be enjoyed for their own musical merit. Find out more about them below.

1. Muyu

The Chinese temple block, or muyu – which means “wooden fish” – is a hollow woodblock that creates a calming sound. It is often used by Buddhists to set a rhythm when reading sutras and chanting. It originated in China and is to this day used by Buddhist monks and followers across Asia.