Yangqin

• Chinese/Japanese: 洋琴、揚琴、楊琴、瑤琴 (yángqín / youkin)

The yangqin is a Chinese style of dulcimer, a stringed musical instrument played with a pair of small bamboo hammers.

The instrument is a relatively new one within the range of traditional Chinese musical instruments, having been introduced to the Canton (Guangdong province) region only in the 17th century, after which it began to spread to the remainder of the country. In early modern (Tokugawa period) Japan, the sight or sound of a dulcimer was a rather rare and exotic thing.

References

• Kaneshiro Atsumi 金城厚, "Gakudôji, gakushi, kagakushi - uzagaku wo tsutaeta hitobito" 楽童子・楽師・歌楽師ー御座楽を伝えた人々, in Uzagaku no fukugen ni mukete 御座楽の復元を向けて, Uzagaku fukugen ensô kenkyûkai (2007), 75.