Jiaohu is a Chinese bowed string instrument belonging to the huqin family, a group of related fiddles used across China. It is a small, two-stringed instrument played with a bow, and it is physically similar in structure to the jinghu and the erhu, though it remains a distinct traditional instrument in its own right.
Its most distinctive feature is its sound box, which is made from the horn of a cow. The open front end of this sound box is covered with snake skin. The instrument's name derives from the Chinese words jiǎo and hú.
Like many huqin instruments, the jiaohu was used in feudal times to accompany traditions, festivals, rituals, and court life. It featured in Chinese opera ensembles, particularly in Beijing, where stringed instruments, woodwinds, and drums were combined to give operas greater emotional meaning. The jiaohu is used primarily by the Gelao people of Guangxi, a province in southern China.