The Yi Sanhu is a unique bowed and stringed instrument of the Yi people, and it is the main instrument of the folk music and dance "Axi Jumping to the Moon". On the night of the traditional torch festival of the Yi nationality on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month, young men and women from Axi and Sani gather at the edge of the pine forest or on the courtyard dam. 

When playing the Sanhu of the Yi nationality, the left hand supports the qin bar at the 1000-pound position, hooks the string with the thumb, puts the qin barrel on the left waist, and presses the strings with the index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger of the left hand. The right-hand bow is sandwiched between the three strings to play. No matter whether the inner or outer strings are played, the middle strings are sounded at the same time, forming a natural harmony.

The tuning of the sanhu varies from player to player. For the lihu used by the Sani people, the tuning is g, c, and c1 from the inside to the outside. The range is one and a half octaves. The timbre is soft and rich, beautiful and beautiful, and it is a middle music instrument.

Due to the short and small bow of the sanhu, the bowing method is mostly light and sub-bow. The melody is varied and the sound is rich and sweet. It can be used for solo, instrumental ensemble or as the accompaniment of folk songs and dances.

The sanhu has a louder volume and is full of delicate and profound expressive power. The old man with white temples often plays the sanhu to entertain himself at night, closes his eyes, meditates, looks back on the past, and expresses his feelings about life; the young man and the sanhu have a special relationship, and whenever they go to meet the girl at night , Always bring your beloved sanhu, and express your sincere love to your sweetheart with the beautiful sound of the piano.