Banhu is also called "banghu" and "qinhu". It was developed along with the appearance of the local opera, and developed another musical instrument called huqin. Banhu is loud and has a clear tone, but it is graceful and soft at the same time. It has a history of more than 300 years. It is called banhu because it is made of pieces of wood flock, which are bonded together.
At first, banhu was popular mainly in northern China. It was frequently used as the major accompaniment instrument in many local operas and musical performances. Because banhu is closely related to Chinese operas and dramas, it is especially good for those performances. The way the Banhu is used in operas and dramas varies from place to place.

The structure of banhu is quite similar to that of erhu, the two-stringed Chinese fiddle, but there are still differences. The canister of banhu is made of tung wood, which is the key to producing the sound, while that of the erhu is made of animal skin. The tone of banhu is especially clear and loud, and carries the flavor of the countryside. It plays the leading role among all the accompanying instruments in the band, and it produces the alto voice part in the chord.

After the foundation of the People's Republic of China, musicians and instrument designers have made great efforts to improve their manufacturing skills. Many new types of banhu have been created. Among those new members are mediant banhu, alt banhu, three-stringed banhu, bamboo banhu and so on.

Along with improvements in manufacturing, performance skills have also been improved. Banhu has become an indispensable part of ethnic bands in China, and a solo-performing instrument with strong local flavor. It is often used to perform accompaniment for ethnic operas, singing and dancing, as well as singing.