Of course, bamboo clappers are made of bamboos. But not all bamboos can be used to make bamboo clappers. In Taiwan the bamboo clappers are made from Meng-Zong bamboo (Phyllostachys). While in Mainland China the bamboo clappers are made from Mao bamboo.

Now let us start to make bamboo clappers:

The time for choosing bamboo is very important. Bamboo cannot be chosen during the long bamboo shoots season (spring to fall) because during this time, the sugar level in the bamboo is too high; this will make it more likely to be damaged by worms. The best time to choose the bamboo is the period of after the Mid-autumn Festival and before the Spring Festival in the next year. During this time, the bamboo has less sugar level, thus, it is more suitable to make bamboo clappers.

When choosing the bamboo, the bamboo should best be wide in the ¡§penholder¡¨ tube and thin in the bamboo wall for the sound is more pleasant to listen to. But most of the bamboos that have a wider tube also have a thicker bamboo wall. Therefore, to find a bamboo that matches the ¡§wide and thin¡¨ condition is not easy.

After the bamboo is dried, it is ready to be cut into slices. The most important thing about cutting is that it is to be cut into proper sizes. After the bamboo is cut into slices, it has to be¡uSha-Qing¡v, which means to remove a layer of coating, as well as polish it. As a result the bamboo slice is smooth so when it is used, no bamboo fiber stabs the hand.

After that, the bamboo is to be hole punctured. Big bamboo clappers and small bamboo clappers have their holes punctured in a different place. If the hole is not punctured right, it not only affects the sound but also the hitting bamboo movement.

Lastly, the bamboo clapper is to be attached with a string. The color of the string can be red, blue, or black. Now it is completed, a set of beautiful bamboo clappers is finished.