One day Su Dongpo came upon a officer who was skilled at singing, so he asked, "How do my ci compare with those of Liu Yong?". He replied, "Liu Yong's ci are only suitable for girls of 17 or 18 to sing, holding their ivory clappers and singing 'a river bank covered in willow trees, with the cold breeze before the dawn', the ci of a scholar like yourself requires a great man from West of the Hangu Pass, using a bronze pipa, a pair of iron clappers, singing 'The River Surges Eastward'." Su Dongpo gave a hearty laugh, not knowing how to react.

Yeah. She was frail on the outside but had a strong will. The image of her wearing a red robe and cradling a pipa in her hands is very classic; even today it'd be considered very fashionable. No wonder geese flying overhead would fall to the ground at the sight of her beauty.

They're playing the pipa. In the past, it was normally only women who played the pipa. These days though, it's become popular with men as well.