Leyou has deeply rooted in the life of the people of Buyi and has been passed down from generation to generation. Leyou is a folk double-reed vertical joy instrument of the Buyi nationality. Shaped like a suona, without a bowl, it is played with a worm whistle, which can be played solo or as an accompaniment to singing. It is popular in the vast area of southwestern Guizhou.

composition of leu

Leyou consists of five parts: resonator, rod, heart core, copper hoop and insect whistle.

Leu's production

• Resonator: Cut bamboo with a diameter of 4 cm into a length of 10 cm, and then boil it in boiling water for 30 minutes, then take it out.
• Rod: The collected paulownia wood is peeled and cut into a length of about 25 cm, boiled in boiling water for about 30 minutes and taken out. After drying with a grain fire, it is trimmed into a suona rod shape. Burnt empty. The part connecting the resonator is cut into a port with a diameter of 3.5 cm; the part connecting the core is cut into a port with a diameter of 0.5 cm, and a copper hoop is riveted. Select the opening surface of the shaft, and open six pronunciation holes of uniform size, and the hole distance is 3 cm, which must be accurate. After opening the hole, drip tung oil into the sound hole and smear the shaft, and then use a cotton cloth to repeatedly wipe the sound hole and the surrounding of the shaft until it is smooth.
• Heart core: Cut bamboo into 3.5 cm long bamboo joints with water bamboo, cut the part where the insect whistle is inserted into a 0.2 cm port (equivalent to wild silkworm cocoons), and cut the part connecting the shaft into a 0.3 cm diameter port.
• Copper hoop: It is a small circle rolled with copper skin, used as a connecting rod and a heart core, and also as a decoration.
• Whistle: mostly insect whistle, made of a cocoon of a wild silkworm. To make a worm whistle, first soak the silkworm cocoon with warm water, then cut off both ends of the cocoon to make an olive-shaped whistle, soak the whistle in tea oil for a period of time, and then dry it before use. The advantage is that it is durable, not easily deformed, and the blown sound is unique.

After the 5 parts of the horn, the rod, the heart core, the copper hoop and the insect whistle are made, they are assembled according to the regulations, and a unique shape of Leyou is presented in front of us. It can be disassembled at any time for easy portability and storage. The Buyi Leyou in the Beipan River Basin is a work of art in itself. Since the day of birth, Leyou has been acting as a bridge for the Bouyei men to get married. It shares honor and disgrace with the Bouyei people, conveying the joys and sorrows of the Bouyei people; Today, it has become a sacred musical instrument widely loved and recognized by the Buyi people.