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The saenghwang is a Korean wind instrument. It is a free reed mouth organ derived from (and quite similar to) the Chinese sheng, though its tuning is different. It is constructed from 17 bamboo pipes, each with a metal free reed, mounted in a metal windchest (the windchest was formerly made from a dried gourd). In contrast to other Korean traditional instruments, it is little used today; few specimens exist, and very few musicians are able to play it. Its use is restricted primarily to chamber music contexts, usually in combination instruments such as the danso (vertical flute) and yanggeum (hammered dulcimer).
A
gisaeng holding a
saenghwang (far left). The painting is from the
Hyewon pungsokdo (1805).
The instrument was referred to historically as saeng (笙).
Gisaeng (Korean female entertainers) are often depicted playing saenghwang in old Korean paintings.
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