The
suona ; also called
laba or
haidi is a
Chinese sorna (
double-reeded horn). It has a distinctively loud and high-pitched sound, and is used frequently in Chinese traditional music ensembles, particularly those that perform outdoors. It is an important instrument in the folk music of northern China, particularly the provinces of
Shandong and
Henan, where it has long been used for festival and military purposes. It is still used, in combination with
sheng mouth organs, gongs, drums, and sometimes other instruments, in wedding and funeral processions. Such wind and percussion ensembles are called
chuida or
guchui. Stephen Jones has written extensively on its use in ritual music of
Shanxi province. It is also common in the ritual music of Southeast China. In
Taiwan, it forms an essential element of ritual music that accompanies Daoist performances of both auspicious and inauspicious rites, i.e., those for both the living and the dead.