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How did the pipa and biwa spread across Asia?

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Koto — stringed instrument A Japanese musician plucking the strings of a koto with the right hand to generate a pitch and pressing the strings with the left hand to alter the tone.

The pipa and its Japanese counterpart, the biwa, are part of a family of plucked lutes that originated in Persia as the short-necked barbat. From Persia, this instrument family influenced the music of Central Asia, including Afghanistan and Turkistan, before spreading further east along the Silk Road.12

The quxiang ("curved-neck") pipa reached western China by the 4th century CE. As it moved through Asia, it was adapted into various regional forms:1
* China: Known as the pipa, it became a dominant instrument during the Sui and Tang dynasties.1
* Japan: Introduced by the 8th century CE, it was renamed the biwa.13
* Korea: Known as the bipa.1
* Vietnam: Known as the tyba.1

The instrument's migration was facilitated by trade routes and cultural exchange, including the spread of Buddhism, which brought related instruments like the five-stringed wuxian from India to China in the 5th century CE. Over time, these instruments were adapted to local musical traditions, performance techniques, and courtly requirements.143