The zhongruan

The zhongruan is a Chinese plucked string instrument, with a straight neck with 24 frets on the fingerboard and 4 strings. It is usually played with a plectrum, but can also be played with fingers (index finger and thumb with acrylic nails), which is similar to the way of playing the Chinese pipa.

The zhongruan is a tenor-ranged instrument in the family of ruan. Since the zhongruan has a rounded， calm and rich tone, it is usually played as a lead instrument in small ensembles and used to accompany other instruments in Chinese orchestra. It can also be played solo.