Bowed-string Instruments
Huqin is the generic term for Chinese bowed-string instruments, a family which, according to written records alone, number more than thirty. The configuration of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra incorporates the erhu, gaohu, zhonghu, gehu and bass gehu. The Orchestra may also incorporate other types of bowed-string instruments such as the banhu, jinghu, yehu and leiqin depending on the repertory.

Plucked-string Instruments
The term "plucked-string instruments" is in fact a generic term. It includes the "plucked string" category, which is played with the fingers or a plectrum, and the "struck-string" category, which is played by hitting the strings with bamboo sticks. Plucked-string instruments have a long history in China, and there are as many as forty types, which add to the rich expressiveness of the genre. The configuration of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra incorporates the yangqin, liuqin, pipa, zhongruan, daruan, sanxian and guzheng. Depending on the repertory, other types of plucked-string instruments may be incorporated, such as the guqin, konghou or even the Western harp.

Wind Instruments
This category refers to all instruments which are sounded by passing an airstream through a pipe. It has a long history in China and there are many types. The tones are all different, and the playing techniques also differ. In general, they can be subdivided into the following types: those with the airstream passing through the holes (such as the di, xiao, xun and paixiao); those with a double-reed (such as the suona and the guan); those with a reed (such as the sheng, bawu and hulushi); and those sounded by reverberation of the lips (such as the conch, the ox horn and the brass horn).
In the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the wind instruments in use include the bangdi, qudi, dadi and xindi; soprano keyed sheng, alto paisheng and bass baosheng; the alto guan, bass guan and suona, etc.. Depending on the repertory, the Orchestra also incorporates other wind instruments such as the dongxiao, bawu, xun, koudi and conch.

Percussion Instruments
Percussion instruments refer to musical instruments that are played by striking them with another object. Chinese percussion instruments have a long history and a sizable variety. They can be used to highlight the rhythm in music and create colourful tonal changes, or can be grouped together in ensemble playing. Percussion ensemble pieces differ in expression as the configuration differs.
The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra's percussion section is primarily made up of two sets: Chinese traditional percussion instruments and Western percussion instruments (both with pitched and un-pitched categories). Chinese traditional percussion instruments comprise the metal type (large gongs, small gongs, cloud gongs, cymbals, bells and chimes etc.), the wood type (clappers, bamboo clappers, bangzi and temple block etc.) and the skin type (dagu, paigu, hand drums etc.). The other set comprises Western percussion instruments such as timpani, xylophone, chimes, glockenspiel, vibraphone, bass drum, snare drum and cymbals, etc.. The following is a list of some
percussion instruments.