Rosin

Rosin comes light or dark. Light cakes are harder, shed less powder and stay clean, which is usually the safer choice in Taipei humidity; dark cakes are softer, grip the string harder and come into their own in cool dry air or when you want a heavier attack. Erhu players have cakes of their own here, from MABSA and from CECILIA, because the bow hair runs between the two strings and takes powder differently from a violin bow. Score the surface of a new cake lightly before the first use, then three or four strokes a session is plenty, since more only muddies the sound.