The hulusi or cucurbit flute is a free reed wind instrument
from China. It is held vertically and has three pipes which
pass through a gourd wind chest.
The hulusi was originated by ethnic Dai Tribe of Southwest China,
which can be dated back to Qin and Han Dynasties (**1 BC to **0
AD). The sound of the original Yunnan Dai Tribe hulusi is
hauntingly beautiful, fairly soft, and has a very pure,
clarinet-like sound. The Dai Tribe men would play it to express
their love to women, while other ethnic minorities often played the
hulusi in the fields when taking a break from planting or
harvesting.
