Balaman is a double-reed gas-sounding instrument of the Uyghur and Uzbek nationalities. There are different legends about the origin of Balaman.

According to Baekli Tuerdi, a famous folk artist and Balaman player in Hotan, his late teacher, Rehemu Metikuwan, told him that in ancient times, a worm bit a hole in a reed, and when the wind blew, Make a nice sound. Later, someone cut a reed with a hole and blew it with his mouth. It also sounded very nice. The reed mouthpiece at the top of the tube was inspired by the willow flute played by children. Bala means Uyghur child. Man means a child's toy.

Another legend is that there was once a shepherd who broke a reed at random. Later, he took a piece of reed and drilled a few small holes in the reed rod. He opened and closed the holes with his fingers, and he actually made music with different pitches. After continuous improvement, it became today's Balaman.