There are three basic kinds of lute, round-bodied like the ruan and yueqin, pear-shaped like the pipa and liuqin and with skin sounding membranes like the sanxian. In the earlier literature "pipa" seems to have been a general name for all plucked lutes but it was later confined to the pear shaped (or curved neck) lute which was probably introduced from India or Persia in possibly late Han times. The earlier round bodied, straight necked lute was renamed the ruan in honour, it is said, of RUAN Ji one of the Zhulin Qi Xian (Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove) at the time of the Wei Dynasty.

In modern practice the pipa is tuned A D e a, and the liuqin and the yueqin G D A e. The ruan is tuned either a fifth lower than the yueqin or in the same way as the pipa, with consequences for technique and the music most frequently played on it.

ZHENG
The Zheng is developed from a small bamboo-made instrument originally used by ancient herdsmen in 475-221 B.C. It was very popular as early as Qin Dynasty (255-206 B.C.).

The Zheng was mainly used for solos and the accompaniment of folk songs in its early days, but was also used in orchestral performances in the Tang Dynasty. Depending on the type of strings it uses, the instrument is capable of producing a variety of tones.

YANGQIN
The Yangqin, which literally means foreign instrument in Chinese, had originated from the Middle East. It was first introduced into China during the Ming Dynasty (1600 A.D.) and is similar to the European dulcimer in construction. As the Cantonese Yangqin was once made in the shape of a butterfly, it was also called Butterfly-qin.

The Yangqin is played with a pair of bamboo sticks. With gradual improvement, stops have been added to provide semitones and to increase the range of the instrument. Slides and rollers have also been added to facilitate modulation and ensure a quicker and more accurate tuning. The Yangqin is capable of producing not only single notes, but also chords and quick arpeggios. It is widely used as both a solo and accompanying instrument, and remains one of the principal instruments in a Chinese orchestra.

LIUYEQIN
The Liuyeqin is a small 4-string plucked string instrument with a history of about one hundred years. It was originally used in the accompaniment of folk operas in the An-hui Province of China, but is also used quite often as a solo instrument. Because of its shorter strings & relatively small resonator, the Liuyeqin is noted for high pitches and distinctively bright tones.

PIPA
A pear-shaped 4-string lute-like instrument with a history of more than 2,200 years, the Pipa is one of the most popular Chinese plucked string instruments, and is widely used in both solo and orchestral performances. Serving as stops are the 26 bamboo frets glued on the belly of the Pipa and the 6 ledges at the upper end of the instrument.

RUAN
The Ruan is a 4-string Chinese lute with a history of more than 1,600 years. With sizes ranging from large, medium to small, the modern Ruan is capable of producing a variety of tones that range from rich to delicate. It is often used in orchestral performances, as well as the accompaniment of folk operas.

SANXIAN
The Sanxian, which literally means 3 strings in Chinese, is a plucked string instrument. With a strong, rich tone and a notably wide range, it is widely used in accompaniment as well as orchestral and solo performances.