The earliest physical objects of sheng are 12 pipe sheng unearthed from the tomb of Zeng Houyi, as well as 14 and 18 pipes. It has a history of 2400 years, and it is one of the ancient "eight-tone" instruments, and it is also the earliest instrument in the world to use free springs. The timbre is bright and sweet, the treble is crisp and transparent, and the alto is soft and full.
There are many kinds of sheng, such as traditional sheng, treble key sheng, lusheng, drum sound, gourd sound, alto sheng, bass sheng, double bass sheng, alto sheng, bass sheng, flute sheng and so on.
The traditional sheng is 17 and 19 springs, and there are also 2 1, 24, 26, 36 and 37 springs on this basis. It is redesigned and made on the basis of traditional sheng, and its timbre, sound quality, playing techniques, performance and modeling have all developed.
In traditional instrumental music and Kunqu opera, sheng is generally used as the accompaniment of flute, suona and other wind instruments. Sheng can not only play the role of melody, but also play the role of accompaniment. It is the originator of most existing Lusheng instruments in the world.