The most common huqin are the ''erhu'' , ''zhonghu'' , and ''gaohu'' Over thirty types of ''huqin'' instruments have been documented.
''Huqin'' instruments are believed to descend from an instrument called the ''xiqin'' , originally played by the , a nomadic people of Central Asia.
In the 20th century, large bass ''huqin'' such as the ''dihu'', ''gehu'', and ''diyingehu'' were developed for use in modern Chinese orchestras. Of these, the ''gehu'' and ''diyingehu'' are essentially versions of cellos and double basses designed to have a timbre that would blend in with the sound of traditional ''huqin''. These instruments generally have four strings and fingerboards, and are played in a similar manner to cellos and double basses, and are very different from the traditional ''huqin''.
Similar instruments are also used in neighboring countries, such as , , , , , , and .
List of Chinese huqin instruments
*Erhu ; also called ''nanhu''
*Gaohu ; also called ''yuehu''
*Niutuiqin or ''niubatui''
Related instruments in other Asian nations
**Saw sam sai
**Saw peep or saw krapawng