The traditional Chinese musical instrument that is a pear-shaped, four-stringed lute played with a plectrum is the pipa.
The pipa has a distinctive pear-shaped wooden body, a short neck, and a fretted fingerboard. Modern instruments normally have four strings and around twenty-six frets or raised tone markers, allowing performers to produce a wide range of pitches and ornaments. Players hold it upright and traditionally pluck it with a plectrum or fingernails.
Although the pipa is now strongly identified with Chinese music, its historical development reflects cultural exchange across Central Asia. Related pear-shaped lutes reached China through trade and travel, especially during the Han and Tang periods. The instrument became prominent in court and urban musical life.
Pipa repertoire includes delicate lyrical pieces and virtuosic works depicting battles, landscapes, or legendary stories. It differs from the qin, a long seven-string zither, and the ruan, a round-bodied plucked lute.