Bawu is a type of reed instrument that uses the principle of reed vibration to produce sound. It is mainly popular among the Yi, Dai, Wa, Bulang, Miao, Hani and other ethnic groups in Yunnan, and is a traditional Chinese reed wind instrument. Bawu is made of bamboo tubes, mostly single tube, and there are also double tubes combined, known as double eyed Bawu. There are also horizontal and vertical blowing methods for its performance. 

The sound of Bawu is soft and rich, with a unique ethnic style and color. It is often used for solo or as accompaniment for dance and rap. As a traditional musical instrument of ethnic minorities in Yunnan, China, bawu plays like grievances, admiration, tears, and complaints, with lingering melodies that linger endlessly. People like to use it to express affection and reminisce about the past. Regarding the origin of Bawu, there are many folk stories circulating behind it. Today, we will tell a folk love story about Bawu. A long time ago, in the Ailao Mountain area on the south bank of the Red River, there was a pure, beautiful, and kind girl named Meiwu from the Hani tribe. She fell in love with the handsome, brave, and hardworking young man Ba Chong, and they swore to be together forever like branches and green leaves. The people in the village all admired and envied them. 

This matter was quickly discovered by the greedy devil in the deep mountains. While people were singing and dancing, he drove a gust of wind and took the girl away, forcing her to marry him. The girl was not afraid of the devil's coercion and temptation, remained steadfast and silent. So the devil became angry and embarrassed, brutally cutting off her tongue and throwing her into the deep mountains and forests. The girl misses her lover in her heart, wandering between the mountains and forests all day, not beinhg able to express the suffering. 

Time passed day by day, and one day, a fairy bird in the forest brought the girl's tongue and a piece of bamboo. The fairy bird put her tongue into the bamboo tube and told her, "Bamboo will help you speak." So the girl played the bamboo and made beautiful music, expressing her longing for her lover and accusing the devil. The music reached Ba Chong's ears, and the young man went through hardships and saved the girl, returning to his family and regaining happiness. Later, people used the names of the two plucking the head and removing the tail, and named this talking instrument "Bawu". From then on, Bawu has been passed down from generation to generation in the Hani Mountain Fortress. 

As a folk legend, this story certainly lacks credibility, but it confirms from another perspective that Bawu is indeed a traditional musical instrument of Yunnan's ethnic minorities. Through this short story, I hope more people can know and understand bawu, and promote and develop this rich traditional ethnic musical instrument.