It is one of the oldest Chinese instruments, with images
depicting its kind dating back to 1100 BC, and there are actual
instruments from the Han era that have been preserved today.
Traditionally, the sheng has been used as an accompaniment
instrument for solo suona or dizi performances. It is one of the
main instruments in kunqu and some other forms of Chinese opera.
Traditional small ensembles also make use of the sheng, such as
the wind and percussion ensembles in northern China. In the
modern large Chinese orchestra, it is used for both melody and
accompaniment The sheng has been used in the works of a few non-
Chinese composers, including Lou Harrison, Tim Risher, Daníel
Bjarnason, Brad Catler, and Christopher Adler. Some believe that
Johann Wilde and Pere Amiot traveled to China and brought the
first shengs to Europe in 1740 and 1777 respectively, although
there is evidence that free reed musical instruments similar to
shengs were known in Europe a century earlier. Chinese free-reed
wind instruments name