Saixiao is a musical instrument of the Miao people. In the Miao language, it is called Zhanjian, which means a bamboo tube with a cork. The Han people call it saixiao.

The pipe body of the pipe is made of bamboo, and it is mostly made of the locally grown bamboo called chest ding in the Miao language. The length of the tube is generally 42 cm, with no joints in the middle and transparent at both ends. The outer diameter of the upper nozzle is 2.1 cm and the inner diameter is about 1.5 cm, and the outer diameter of the lower nozzle is 1.7 cm and the inner diameter is about 1.3 cm.

To make, a cork 2.6 cm long and 1.5 cm diameter with one side cut off is inserted into the upper opening. The cork is mostly made of fir or paulownia, and the cork texture should be in the same direction as the bamboo tube. Split one side of the cork (1/4 arc surface of the circumference) along the grain, and then insert it into the back of the pipe head. The split part and the inner wall of the bamboo pipe form a half-moon-shaped air intake channel. On the back tube wall facing the airway at a distance of 3.7 cm from the upper end orifice, a rectangular sounding whistle hole is opened. The hole is 1.1 cm long and 0.6 cm wide. . There are six circular sound-pressing holes in the middle and lower part of the front of the pipe body. The first hole is 5.8 cm from the lower end of the nozzle. A sixth hole is opened from the sounding hole to 1/2 of the first hole. The second, third, fourth, and fifth holes are opened between the six holes, and the spacing between the sound holes is equal.