The body of this guan-tsu is made of sandalwood and has ornamental metal decorations at the top and bottom. The cylindrical double-reed instrument has seven frontal tone holes and a thumb hole between the first and second tone hole. According to legend, the first oboe arrived in China from Central Asia at the time of the Suícháo dynasty or even earlier during the Zhōu dynasty. It later gained great importance in the court orchestras, so that it was given the nickname touguan (first oboe), from which the name guan (guan-tsu, guanzi) was formed. In contrast to the Chinese suona, which has a conical bore, the guan sounds softer and more like a clarinet