Xiao is an upright-held bamboo flute originated from Han Dynasty when it was still called Giandi. It adopted the name of Xiao when the flute played in an upright-held position.
Xiao is made up of 16 to 24 bamboo pipes of various length. A Xiao player blows through the hole at the top to produce soft and mellow tone. It can be played to accompany the Qin instrument in the court music or as an solo instrument.