 Similar instruments may have been present in China as early as the Qin dynasty as "qin pipa" ("pipa" was used as a generic term in ancient China for many other forms of plucked chordophones) or "xiantao" (弦鼗) , which the Qinqin and Ruan also come from.Some thought that the instrument may have been re-introduced into China together with other instruments such as "huqin" by the Mongols during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), however, an image of a sanxian-like instrument was found in a stone sculpture dating from the Southern Song period (1217–79).The first record of the name "sanxian" may be found in a Ming dynasty text.