Erhu has been popular among the Southern Chinese musicians since the Song Dynasty (960 AD - 1279 AD). Because of its popularity in Southern China, it was also named "Nanhu", in which "Nan" is equvilant to South in Chinese.
Erhu is compartmented by neck, pegs, sound box, strings, qianjin, bridge, and bow. The neck, pegs, and sound box are maded of hard wood while the two strings are made out of silk or metallic materials. An Erhu player usually sits holding the Erhu vertically with the sound box positioned on the left of his/her lap against the hip.