Gaohu is generally called the alt erhu. It was developed from the erhu. Its development is closely linked to Cantonese music.

Cantonese music is usually performed with folk instruments. In the beginning, there was no gaohu in Cantonese music. Around the 1920s, the Cantonese musician and performer Lu Wencheng made great improvements on the erhu. He changed the silk strings to steel ones, and raised the tones. While performing, he put the canister between his legs. Gaohu soon became the leading instrument in Cantonese music.

The structure, making and material of gaohu are similar to that of erhu. The biggest difference is the canister. Designers had few limits in making the instrument. Some designers changed the round canister into a flat round one, which raised the volume. Some changed it to a three stringed instrument instead of a two stringed one, which expended the range.

Gaohu has a clear and bright sound. Along with this characteristic, the full-bodied bass part has been given great prominence in the band. As a rule, gaohu is given a highly valued seat in the Chinese ethnic orchestra. In addition, it is especially good at performing lively rhythms. For that reason, it is often used to perform the accompaniment for theme songs.