[1] The eight categories are silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd and skin; other instruments considered traditional exist that may not fit these groups.
Since ancient times, the Chinese have used twisted silk for strings, though today metal or nylon are more frequently used.
Chinese instruments are either played solo, collectively in large orchestras (as in the former imperial court) or in smaller ensembles (in teahouses or public gatherings).
As of the 20th century, musical scores have become more common, as has the use of conductors in larger orchestral-type ensembles.
These watercolour illustrations, made in China in the 1800s, show several types of musical instruments being played: