Description: The naw is a musical instrument; specifically a "free reed" played in South East Asia, in particular the golden triangle area. Examples of this instrument have been found throughout Myanmar (Burma), Southern China in Yunnan province, and also in Northern, Thailand, Laos, and far northern Vietnam. Sometimes it is referred to as a "Hulusheng" which means literally "gourd sheng". The naw is played among a number of the Hill Tribes in South East Asia, The Yi, Lisu, Lahu.

Most naw usually have five pipes, a finger hole per pipe, a single lamelephone brass reed per pipe. The pipes are stacked or grouped in a gourd, when blowing into the instrument the wind pushes through the gourd. This allows for when the player bends the notes by not completely covering the finger hole but slightly covering them with little movement. Each of the pipes are` inserted individually then they are affixed with a material called ksoot, which is an admixture of bees wax, and the ashes of burnt bamboo.

Citation (asza.com) 2007.07.22 Sunday: traditionally the naw was used to peform a coded language for unmarried couples to converse with.