Xiaohulei is a pipa-type stringed instrument that appeared in the Tang Dynasty. Longer history. As early as the 4th century AD, in the frescoes of Ajanta in western India, there were already stick-shaped lutes and pear-shaped lutes. Since the Han and Wei Dynasties, musicians from the Western Regions have settled down through the "Silk Road" to perform their art in the central region, and have brought the Western Regions Quxiang Pipa through the Qiuci.
Xiaohulei is a two-stringed musical instrument created by the Tang Dynasty musician Han Hong by referring to the form of the pipa in the Western Regions. It is more similar to the dragon-headed pipa in Nanzhao. In Nanzhao, China (now in Yunnan, southern Sichuan, and western Guizhou), there was a dragon-headed pipa. "Old Tang Book: Nanman Biography" (Volume 2, 2, 2, 2) contains: "Tang Zhenyuan period (AD 785-804) Nanzhao musical instrument has a dragon-headed pipa, such as the Qiuci system, and the length of the item is two feet six inches. Yu, the belly is six inches wide, two dragons face each other, and there are three pillars each, and the strings are as many." This rod-shaped, pear-shaped, dragon-headed pipa was introduced to Chang'an in mainland China through Chengdu, Sichuan during the Zhenyuan period.
The Little Hulei, made by Han Hong in the Tang Dynasty, collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing, has a history of more than 1,200 years. It has experienced the hands of famous people, and has been described in many documents. The vicissitudes of life, prosperity and decline, and finally return to the hands of the people.

According to Duan Anjie's "Yuefu Miscellaneous Lu" in the late Tang Dynasty and Qian Yi's "Southern New Book" in the Northern Song Dynasty, in AD 780 (the first year of Jianzhong), Tang Dezong Li Shi ascended the throne and became the prime minister of the dynasty (one said to be the governor of Zhenhai) Han Hong On a mission to Sichuan, Yu Luogu came across a solid and precious piece of wood, and asked a famous craftsman to make two qins, named Big and Small Hulei, dedicated to Emperor Li Shi. "Southern New Book" records this historical fact in more detail: "Han Jingong (that is, Han Hong) was in the dynasty, and he entered Shu on an envoy. To Luogu (in the southwest of Zhouzhi County, today's Xianyang area, Shaanxi Province) Sanjiao, giant trees towering and lovely, the sound of black birds All are different. Dismounting from the horse, shooting the top with a probing bow, the branches fall down, and the valley is shaken, with the rhythm of gold and stone.
When the envoy returned, Jiexian Yin recruited woodcutters to cut them down, take the stems, and return them. Called a good craftsman to cut it, but I don't know its name. Firm as purple stone, with golden threads intertwined. The craftsman said: 'For the Huqin groove, he cannot be combined. ’ So two qins were created, the bigger one was called “Da Hulei” and the smaller one was called “Xiao Hulei”. Because of the Emperor's words of music in the Biandian Hall, (Hu) then offered Da Hulei to the ban, and Xiao Hulei was in Qinrenfang. "