P'ai hsiao

P'ai hsiao panpipes of China. In ancient times they were composed of 12 *kuans arranged in raft form, with the largest pipe in the center and the others in 2 groups of male and female to each side. The actual arrangement has varied in different epochs. Today the pipes are of cane, stopped, all of the same width, and number 16, their pitches corresponding to the 12 lü and the 4 grave lü. According to tradition the sounds are those of the phoenix. The p'ai hsiao is a Confucian ritual instr…