The "guan" was developed after the "hujia" in the Tang Dynasty due to the flourishing music and art culture that were influenced by the silk road trade. Like the "hujia", it was likely adopted from whom the Chinese generally call the Hu (nomadic) people, and became an important leading instrument in the court and ritual music. At the height of the Tang Dynasty, the "guan", alongside many other instruments was introduced to neighboring countries, where the "guan"'s descendants (called "piri" in Korea and "hichiriki" in Japan) are still used today.