Dizi produced in southern Chinese regions such as Chaozhou are often made of very slender, lightweight, light-colored bamboo and are much quieter in tone.

Recently, archaeologists have discovered evidence suggesting that the simple transverse flutes (though without the distinctive mokong of the dizi) have been present in China for over 9,000 years.

Fragments of bone flutes from this period are still playable today, and are remarkably similar to modern versions in terms of hole placement, etc.

While simple and straightforward, it is also impossible to change the fundamental tuning once the bamboo is cut, which made it a problem when it was played with other instruments in a modern Chinese orchestra.

In the 1920s musician Zheng Jinwen (鄭覲文, 1872–1935) resolved this issue by inserting a copper joint to connect two pieces of shorter bamboo.

In the 1930s, an 11-hole, fully chromatic version of the dizi was created called the xindi (新笛), pitched in the same range as the western flute.

The dimo-covered mo kong has a distinctive resonating effect on the sound produced by the dizi, making it brighter and louder, and adding harmonics to give the final tone a buzzing, nasal quality.

[9] Dizi are often played using various "advanced" techniques, such as circular breathing, slides, popped notes, harmonics, "flying finger" trills, multiphonics, fluttertonguing, and double-tonguing, which are also common in similar instruments, such as the western concert flute and recorder.

There have been several major performers of the 20th century who have contributed to dizi playing in the new conservatory professional concert repertory, often based on or adapted from regional folk styles.

Following the Chinese Communist Revolution, and according to the Yan'an forum talks, the instrument was appreciated for its popular roots, and used extensively in revolutionary music.

His pieces, including Yin zhong niao (Birds in the Shade), He ping ge (Doves of Peace) and Gu xiang (Old Home village) have become part of the new conservatory professional concert repertory.

In pre-1949 Shanghai, Lu worked a trishaw driver, but was also an amateur musician, performing the Jiangnan sizhu folk ensemble repertory.

Zhao's compositions include San Wu Qi (Three-Five-Seven), which is based on a melody from Wuju (Zhejiang traditional opera).

[12] Ron Korb (龍笛 (音樂家) or phonetically translated to "雷恩寇伯"), born in Toronto, Canada, is the first renowned western musician playing dizi along with numerous other world woodwinds.

He has also used dizi in the film soundtracks of The White Countess, Relic Hunter, China Rises, and Long Life, Happiness, & Prosperity.