What is a Bamboo Cicada?
The Bamboo Cicada, also known as the Pull-string Cicada or Wah-wah Cicada in various regions, is a traditional Chinese folk toy that makes a loud "wah-wah" sound when swung. It consists of a bamboo tube with one end covered by a bamboo membrane. A line coated with rosin is attached to the center of the membrane, with the other end tied to a small bamboo stick. When you hold the stick and swing it in circles, the rosin-coated string creates alternating "stick-and-slip" friction. This vibration travels down the string to the membrane, where it is amplified by the resonance of the hollow bamboo tube, producing the iconic "wah-wah" sound that mimics a real cicada.
Here is the web-based simulation: Simply press and hold on the screen to draw circles and spin it. The faster you spin, the louder it gets! The audio is sampled from real Bamboo Cicadas. It is completely free, ad-free, and open-source. Please note that JavaScript must be enabled to play.