The tone of the Dong flute is soft and bright, which is between the bamboo flute and the dongxiao. It is bright but not flashy, sweet but not depressed, and has a strong mountain flavor. The unique finger vibrato and portamento techniques are often used in the performance. Often used for solo, ensemble or accompaniment. However, due to the narrow range and low volume, it is generally only suitable for vocal accompaniment and simple solo performance.

In the southern part of Liping County in southeastern Guizhou and Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County in northern Guizhou, the Dong flute is mainly used to accompany "little songs" (dizi songs). All songs specially accompanied by this instrument are called flute songs. In the Dong Autonomous County in the southwest of Hunan Province, the Dong flute also participates in a small folk ensemble composed of eight-tone reeds and other silk and bamboo musical instruments.

It is worth mentioning that in the 1960s, the Dong flute was used in the music of the opera "Liu Sanjie", and it was also used as the main instrument of the band, making the opera have a strong national style, and it has also become a leader among Dong nationality instruments.