Liúshuǐ fú 流水拂 “Moving Water Fu”

A technique using both hands to create overlapping fú to mimic the sound of flowing water. Run the index finger of one hand over about 5 strings in a gesture toward the performer. While the first hand is still playing, run the index finger of the second hand over a similar set of strings. This overlapping pattern is repeated several times, typically progressing toward the performer.

The tempo and volume of the fú increase as they approach the middle pitch of the instrument, then decrease as they reach the higher strings. Lee offers the synonym Liúshuǐ shēng 流水声 “Moving water sound” and the following subtypes. Descriptions are from Lee:

Dān shŏu liú shuǐ fú

One-handed liu shui fu.

Hùn hé liú shuǐ fú

Mixed direction liushui fu, with hand movement in both directions.

Shàng xíng liú shuǐ fú

Upwards liu shui fu, hand movement is toward the player.

Shuāng shŏu liú shuǐ fú

Two-handed liu shui fu.

Xià xíng liú shuǐ fú:

Downwards liu shui fu, hand movement away from player.