The traditional Chinese bowed instrument with two strings and a bow played between them is the erhu.
The erhu is a small, vertical, two-stringed fiddle with a long neck and a resonator traditionally covered with snakeskin. Its bow passes between the two strings rather than above or below them. The performer presses the strings against the neck without a fingerboard, creating expressive slides and vibrato.
The instrument belongs to the huqin family of Chinese bowed lutes. The name erhu means “two-stringed” in Chinese, referring to its basic construction. Earlier forms were associated with northern and northwestern peoples and evolved through long cultural exchange before becoming established in Chinese ensembles.
The modern erhu became particularly important in twentieth-century Chinese concert music. Its voice can imitate singing and is used in solo pieces, opera, folk ensembles, and orchestras. It should not be confused with the three-stringed sanxian or the plucked pipa.