The earliest use of the word "guan" can be traced back to Zhou Dynasty records, where it refers to end-blown bamboo flutes such as the "xiao" or "paixiao". The earliest double-reed instrument appears in the late Zhou Dynasty and is referred as "hujia" (; literally "reed pipe of Hu people") because it had been introduced from the northwestern region of China. During that time, the "hujia" was used as the primarily military instrument for signaling, and is depicted in early Chinese poetry as raucous and barbaric.