The Lahu ethnic minority reside in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and China. Most Lahu live in the Lahu Autonomous County in the mountains of Western Yunnan Province in the southwest China. The bamboo pipe of the Luhu people is imprinted into the minority’s heritage. It is used in important festivities and rituals.

Commonly classified as a free reed mouth organ, the Lahu gourd pipe is best known as the hulusheng which is literally translated to “gourd sheng”. It is one of the oldest known Asian free reed mouth organs. The technique used to play this instrument is difficult with musicians needing many years of practice before mastering the gourd pipe. The resulting music is quite loud and lively.

The Lahu gourd pipe is made from two dried gourd pipes fitted with five bamboo pipes put into place with wax. Each pipe has a free-beating reed facing towards the base of the pipe. Musicians inhale or exhale through the blowpipe depending on the desired sound. The pitch is controlled by covering and uncovering the holes on the pipe. Open holes at the bottom of the pipes allow for the bending of the tones. The lower ends of the pipes are placed through the base of the gourd so the thumb can be placed over the holes to cause the note to bend downwards in pitch.

Similar instruments to the Lahu gourd pipe can be found in other areas of Southeast Asia including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Vietnam.

The hulusheng has a long cultural history in the Lahu minority and continues to contribute to many festivals. As one of the earliest mouth organs, it has influenced many other Chinese instruments. It continues to be an important musical instrument in traditional Chinese history.