Chinese units of measurement
Chinese units of measurement (Chinese: 市制; pinyin: shìzhì; literally: "market system") are the customary and traditional units of measure used in China. In the People's Republic of China, the units were re-standardised during the late 20th century to make them approximate SI (metric) units. Many of the units were formerly based on the number 16 instead of 10. In Hong Kong, the British Imperial system was used together with Hong Kong units of measurement, which were traditional Chinese weights and measures, and now traditional Chinese units and Imperial units are used alongside the metric system, which was introduced by legislation in 1976 as the official standard system of weights and measures. Taiwanese units of measurement, which appeared under the colonial influences of the Dutch and the Japanese, for the most part may have similar names but are different from the Chinese units of measurement. Taiwan is now fully metricated.
The Chinese name for most SI units is based on that of the closest traditional unit. When it is necessary to emphasize which system is used, the words "market" (市 shì) for traditional units or "common/standard" (公 gōng) for SI units may be added in front of the name. SI is the official system of units, but traditional units are still ubiquitously used in everyday life.
Note: The names lí (厘) and fēn (分) for small units are the same for length, area, and mass; however, they refer to different kinds of measurements.
History
History of science and technology in China |
---|
By era |
According to the Liji, the legendary Yellow Emperor created the first measurement units. The Xiao Erya and the Kongzi Jiayu state that length units were derived from the human body. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, these human body units caused inconsistency, and Yu the Great, another legendary figure, unified the length measurements. Rulers with decimal units have been unearthed from Shang Dynasty tombs.
In the Zhou Dynasty, the king conferred nobles with powers of the state and the measurement units began to be inconsistent from state to state. After the Warring States period, Qin Shi Huang unified China, and later standardized measurement units. In the Han Dynasty, these measurements were still being used, and were documented systematically in the Book of Han.
Astronomical instruments show little change of the length of chi in the following centuries, since the calendar needed to be consistent. It was not until the introduction of decimal units in the Ming Dynasty that the traditional system was revised.
Republican Era
On 7 January 1915, the Beiyang Government promulgated a measurement law to use not only metric system as the standard but also a set of Chinese-style measurement.[1] On 16 February 1929, the Nationalist Government adopted and promulgated The Weights and Measures Act[2] to adopt the metric system as the official standard and to limit the newer Chinese units of measurement (Chinese: 市用制; pinyin: shìyòngzhì; literally: "market-use system") to private sales and trade in Article 11, effective on 1 January 1930.[3]
People's Republic of China
The Government of the People's Republic of China continued using the market system along with metric system, as decreed by the State Council of the People's Republic of China on 25 June 1959, but 1 catty being 500 grams, would become divided into 10 (new) taels, instead of 16 (old) taels, to be converted from province to province, while exempting Chinese prescription drugs from the conversion to prevent errors.[4]
On 27 February 1984, the State Council of the People's Republic of China decreed the market system to remain acceptable till the end of 1990 and ordered the transition to the national legal measures by that time, but farmland measures would be exempt from this mandatory metrication until further investigation and study.[5]
Hong Kong
In 1976 the Hong Kong Metrication Ordinance allowed a gradual replacement of the system in favor of the International System of Units (SI) metric system.[6] The Weights and Measures Ordinance defines the metric, Imperial, and Chinese units.[7] As of 2012, all three systems are legal for trade and are in widespread use.
Macau
On 24 August 1992, Macau published Law No. 14/92/M to order that Chinese units of measurement similar to those used in Hong Kong, Imperial units, and United States customary units would be permissible for five years since the effective date of the Law, 1 January 1993, on the condition of indicating the corresponding SI values, then for three more years thereafter, Chinese, Imperial, and US units would be permissible as secondary to the SI.[8]
Ancient Chinese units
Length
Traditional units of length include the chi (尺), bu (步), and li (里). The precise length of these units, and the ratios between these units, has varied over time. 1 bu has consisted of either 5 or 6 chi, while 1 li has consisted of 300 or 360 bu.
dynasty | chi | bu | li | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
= 5 chi | = 6 chi | = 300 bu | = 360 bu | ||
Shang | 0.1675 | 1.0050 | 301.50 | ||
0.1690 | 1.0140 | 304.20 | |||
Zhou | 0.1990 | 1.1940 | 358.20 | ||
Eastern Zhou | 0.2200 | 1.3200 | 396.00 | ||
0.2270 | 1.3620 | 408.60 | |||
0.2310 | 1.3860 | 415.80 | |||
Qin | 0.2310 | 1.3860 | 415.80[10][11] | ||
Han | 0.2310 | 1.3860 | 415.80[12] 415.80[10][11] | ||
600 CE | 0.2550 | 1.5300 | 459.00 | ||
Tang | 0.2465 | 1.2325 | 369.75 | 443.70 | |
0.2955 | 1.4775 | 443.25 | 531.90 | ||
Song | 0.2700 | 1.3500 | 405.00 | 486.00 | |
Northern Song | 0.3080 | 1.5400 | 462.00 | 554.40 | |
Ming | 0.3008–0.3190 | 1.5040–1.5950 | 451.20–478.50 | 541.44–574.20 | |
Qing | 0.3080–0.3352 | 1.5400–1.6760 | 462.00–503.89 | 554.40–603.46 | |
Modern Chinese units
All "metric values" given in the tables are exact unless otherwise specified by the approximation sign '~'.
Certain units are also listed at List of Chinese classifiers → Measurement units.
Length
Chinese length units promulgated in 1915
Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
háo / miǎo | 毫/秒 | 1⁄10 000 | 32 µm | 0.00126 in | |
lí | 釐 (T) or 厘 (S) | 1⁄1000 | 0.32 mm | 0.0126 in | |
fēn | 分 | 1⁄100 | 3.2 mm | 0.126 in | |
cùn | 寸 | 1⁄10 | 32 mm | 1.26 in | Chinese inch |
chǐ | 尺 | 1 | 0.32 m | 12.6 in | Chinese foot |
bù | 步 | 5 | 1.6 m | 5.2 ft | Chinese pace |
zhàng | 丈 | 10 | 3.2 m | 3.50 yd | |
yǐn | 仞 | 100 | 32 m | 35.0 yd | |
lǐ | 里 | 1800 | 576 m | 630 yd | this li is not the small li above, which has a different character and tone |
Chinese length units effective in 1930
Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
háo / miǎo | 毫/秒 | 1⁄10 000 | 33 1⁄3 µm | 0.00131 in | |
lí | 釐 (T) or 厘 (S) | 1⁄1000 | 1⁄3 mm | 0.0131 in | |
fēn | 市分 | 1⁄100 | 3 1⁄3 mm | 0.1312 in | |
cùn | 市寸 | 1⁄10 | 3 1⁄3 cm | 1.312 in | Chinese inch |
chǐ | 市尺 | 1 | 33 1⁄3 cm | 13.12 in | Chinese foot |
zhàng | 市丈 | 10 | 3 1⁄3 m | 3.645 yd | |
yǐn | 仞 | 100 | 33 1⁄3 m | 36.45 yd | |
lǐ | 市里 | 1500 | 500 m | 546.8 yd | this li is not the small li above, which has a different character and tone |
Metric length units
The Chinese word for metre is 米 mǐ; this can take the Chinese standard SI prefixes (for "kilo-", "centi-", etc.). A kilometre, however, may also be called 公里 gōnglǐ, i.e. a metric lǐ.
In the engineering field, traditional units are rounded up to metric units.For example, the Chinese word 丝 sī is used to express 0.01 mm.
Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
hū | 忽 | 1⁄1 000 000 | 1 µm | Authorized name: 微米 | |
sī | 丝 | 1⁄100 000 | 10 µm | Authorized name: 忽米 | |
háo | 毫 | 1⁄10 000 | 100 µm | Authorized name: 丝米 | |
lí | 釐 (T) or 厘 (S) | 1⁄1000 | 1 mm | Authorized name: 毫米 | |
fēn | 公分 | 1⁄100 | 10 mm | Authorized name: 厘米 | |
cùn | 公寸 | 1⁄10 | 100 mm | Authorized name: 分米 | |
chǐ | 公尺 | 1 | 1 m | Authorized name: 米 | |
lǐ | 公里 | 1000 | 1000 m | this li is not the small li above, which has a different character and tone |
Hong Kong and Macau length units
English | Jyutping | Character | Portuguese | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
fan | fan1 | 分 | condorim | 1⁄100 | 3.71475 mm | 0.1463 in | |
tsun | cyun3 | 寸 | ponto | 1⁄10 | 3.71475 cm | 1.463 in | |
chek | cek3 | 尺 | côvado | 1 | 37.1475 cm | 1.219 ft | Hong Kong and Macau foot |
Area
Chinese area units promulgated in 1915
Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
háo | 毫 | 1⁄1000 | 0.6144 m2 | 0.7348 sq yd | |
lí | 釐 (T) or 厘 (S) | 1⁄100 | 6.144 m2 | 7.348 sq yd | |
fēn | 分 | 1⁄10 | 61.44 m2 | 73.48 sq yd | 10 li |
mǔ | 畝 (T) or 亩 (S) | 1 | 614.4 m2 | 734.82 sq yd | 10 fen, or 60 square zhang |
qǐng | 頃 (T) or 顷 (S) | 100 | 6.144 ha | 15.18 acre | 100 mǔ |
Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
fāng cùn | 方寸 | 1⁄100 | 10.24 cm2 | 1.587 sq in | square cun |
fāng chǐ | 方尺 | 1 | 0.1024 m2 | 1.102 sq ft | square chi |
fāng zhàng | 方丈 | 100 | 10.24 m2 | 110.2 sq ft | square zhang |
Chinese area units effective in 1930
Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
háo | 毫 | 1⁄1000 | 2⁄3 m2 | 7.18 sq ft | |
lí | 釐 (T) or 厘 (S) | 1⁄100 | 6 2⁄3 m2 | 7.973 sq yd | |
fēn | 市分 | 1⁄10 | 66 2⁄3 m2 | 79.73 sq yd | 10 li |
mǔ | 畝 (T) or 亩 (S) | 1 | 666 2⁄3 m2 | 797.3 sq yd 0.1647 acre |
10 fen 60 square zhang |
qǐng | 頃 (T) or 顷 (S) | 100 | 6 2⁄3 ha | 16.47 acre | 10 shí or 100 mǔ |
Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
fāng cùn | 方寸 | 1⁄100 | 11 1⁄9 cm2 | 1.722 sq in | square cun |
fāng chǐ | 方尺 | 1 | 1⁄9 m2 | 172.2 sq in 1.196 sq ft |
square chi |
fāng zhàng | 方丈 | 100 | 11 1⁄9 m2 | 119.6 sq ft 13.29 sq yd |
square zhang |
Metric and other area units
Metric and other standard length units can be squared by the addition of the prefix 平方 píngfāng. For example, a square kilometre is 平方公里 píngfāng gōnglǐ.
Macau area units
Jyutping | Character | Portuguese | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
cek3 | 尺 | côvado | 1⁄6000 | 0.1269 m2 | 1.366 sq ft | |
pou3 | 鋪 | 1⁄240 | 3.1725 m2 | 34.15 sq ft 3.794 sq yd |
||
zoeng6 | 丈 | braça | 1⁄60 | 12.69 m2 | 136.6 sq ft 15.18 sq yd |
|
fan1 | 分 | condorim | 1⁄10 | 76.14 m2 | 91.06 sq yd | |
mau5 | 畝 (T) or 亩 (S) | maz | 1 | 761.4 m2 | 910.6 sq yd |
Volume
These units are used to measure cereal grains, among other things. In imperial times, the physical standard for these was the jialiang.
Chinese volume units promulgated in 1915
Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | US value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sháo | 勺 | 1⁄100 | 10.354688 ml | 0.3501 fl oz | 0.3644 fl oz | |
gě | 丈 | 1⁄10 | 103.54688 ml | 3.501 fl oz | 3.644 fl oz | |
shēng | 升 | 1 | 1.0354688 l | 2.188 pt | 1.822 pt | |
dǒu | 斗 | 10 | 10.354688 l | 2.735 gal | 2.278 gal | |
hú | 斛 | 50 | 51.77344 l | 13.68 gal | 11.39 gal | |
dàn | 石 | 100 | 103.54688 l | 27.35 gal | 22.78 gal |
Chinese volume units effective in 1930
Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | US value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
cuō | 撮 | 1⁄1000 | 1 ml | 0.0338 fl oz | 0.0352 fl oz | |
sháo | 勺 | 1⁄100 | 10 ml | 0.3381 fl oz | 0.3520 fl oz | |
gě | 丈 | 1⁄10 | 100 ml | 3.381 fl oz | 3.520 fl oz | |
shēng | 市升 | 1 | 1 l | 2.113 pt | 1.760 pt | |
dǒu | 市斗 | 10 | 10 l | 21.13 pt 2.64 gal |
17.60 pt 2.20 gal |
|
dàn | 市石 | 100 | 100 l | 26.41 gal | 22.0 gal |
Metric volume units
In the case of volume, the market and metric shēng coincide, being equal to one litre as shown in the table. The Chinese standard SI prefixes (for "milli-", "centi-", etc.) may be added to this word shēng.
Units of volume can also be obtained from any standard unit of length using the prefix 立方 lìfāng ("cubic"), as in 立方米 lìfāng mǐ for a cubic metre.
Macau volume units
Jyutping | Character | Portuguese | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
cyut3 | 撮 | 1 | 1.031 l | |||
gam1 dak6 | 甘特 | 10 | 10.31 l | |||
sek6 | 石 | 100 | 103.1 l |
Mass
These units are used to measure the mass of objects. They are also famous for measuring monetary objects such as gold and silver.
Chinese mass units promulgated in 1915
Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
háo | 毫 | 1⁄10 000 | 3.7301 mg | 0.0001316 oz | |
lí | 釐 | 1⁄1000 | 37.301 mg | 0.001316 oz | cash |
fēn | 分 | 1⁄100 | 373.01 mg | 0.01316 oz | candareen |
qián | 錢 | 1⁄10 | 3.7301 g | 0.1316 oz | mace |
liǎng | 兩 | 1 | 37.301 g | 1.316 oz | tael or Chinese ounce |
jīn | 斤 | 16 | 596.816 g | 1.316 lb | catty or Chinese pound |
Mass units in the Republic of China since 1930
Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
sī | 絲 | 1⁄1 600 000 | 312.5 µg | 0.00001102 oz | |
háo | 毫 | 1⁄160 000 | 3.125 mg | 0.0001102 oz | |
lí | 市釐 | 1⁄16 000 | 31.25 mg | 0.001102 oz | cash |
fēn | 市分 | 1⁄1600 | 312.5 mg | 0.01102 oz | candareen |
qián | 市錢 | 1⁄160 | 3.125 g | 0.1102 oz | mace |
liǎng | 市兩 | 1⁄16 | 31.25 g | 1.102 oz | tael or Chinese ounce |
jīn | 市斤 | 1 | 500 g | 1.102 lb | catty or Chinese pound |
dàn | 擔 / 担 | 100 | 50 kg | 110.2 lb | picul or Chinese hundredweight |
Mass units in the People's Republic of China since 1959
Pinyin | Character[13] | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
lí | 市厘 | 1⁄10 000 | 50 mg | 0.001764 oz | cash |
fēn | 市分 | 1⁄1000 | 500 mg | 0.01764 oz | candareen |
qián | 市钱 | 1⁄100 | 5 g | 0.1764 oz | mace |
liǎng | 市两 | 1⁄10 | 50 g | 1.764 oz | tael or Chinese ounce |
jīn | 市斤 | 1 | 500 g | 1.102 lb | catty or Chinese pound formerly 16 liang = 1 jin |
dàn | 市担 / 擔 | 100 | 50 kg | 110.2 lb | picul or Chinese hundredweight |
Metric mass units
The Chinese word for gram is 克 kè; this can take the Chinese standard SI prefixes (for "milli-", "deca-", etc.). A kilogram, however, is commonly called 公斤 gōngjīn, i.e. a metric jīn.
Hong Kong and Macau mass units
English | Jyutping | Character | Portuguese | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
lei4 | 厘 | liz | 1⁄16 000 | 37.79931 mg | 0.02133 dr | Not defined in Hong Kong. Macanese definition may not be correct when dividing catty. | |
candareen (fan) | fan1 | 分 | condorim | 1⁄1600 | 377.9936375 mg | 0.2133 dr | Macanese definition of 377.9931 mg may not be correct when dividing catty. |
mace (tsin) | cin4 | 錢 | maz | 1⁄160 | 3.779936375 g | 2.1333 dr | Macanese definition of 3.779931 g may not be correct when dividing catty. |
tael (leung) | loeng2 | 兩 | tael | 1⁄16 | 37.79936375 g | 1.3333 oz | Macanese definition of 37.79931 g may not be correct when dividing catty. |
catty (kan) | gan1 | 斤 | cate | 1 | 604.78982 g | 1.3333 lb | Hong Kong and Macau share the definition. |
picul (tam) | daam3 | 担 / 擔 | pico | 100 | 60.478982 kg | 133.3333 lb | Hong Kong and Macau share the definition. |
Hong Kong troy units
These are used for trading precious metals such as gold and silver.
English | Character | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
troy candareen | 金衡分 | 1⁄100 | 374.29 mg | 0.096 drt | |
troy mace | 金衡錢 | 1⁄10 | 3.7429 g | 0.96 drt | |
troy tael | 金衡兩 | 1 | 37.429 g | 1.2 ozt |
Time
Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Western value | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
tradition value | modern value | tradition value | modern value | |||
miǎo / hǎo | 秒/毫 | 144 millisecond | 1 second | |||
fēn | 分 | 100 hǎo | 60 miǎo | 14.4 seconds | 1 minute | |
kè | 刻 | 1 minor kè=10 fēn | 15 fēn | 2.4 minutes | 15 minutes | kè was defined at 1⁄96, 1⁄108, or 1⁄120 day during the Liang dynasty, and established at 1⁄96 day after the Qing dynasty. |
1 major kè=60 fēn | 14.4 minutes | |||||
diǎn | 点 | 100 fēn | 60 fēn | 24 minutes | 1 hour | |
shí [14] | 時 (T) 时 (S) |
8 1⁄3 kè | 4 kè | 2 hours | 1 hour | the xiǎoshí(小時/小时) is currently used to express "hour" in order to avoid the ambiguity |
(pre-Qin) 10 kè | 2.4 hours | |||||
rì / tiān | 日/天 | 12 shí | 24 shí | 24 hours |
Historiography
As there were hundreds of unofficial measures in use, the bibliography is quite vast. Up to the 1980s or so, the book by Wu Chenglou (吳承洛), Zhongguo dulianghengshi (中國度量衡史), first printed in 1937 and republished/revised a few times since (1957, 1993), was often used as reference. It relies however mostly on literary accounts. Newer research has put more emphasis on archeological discoveries.[15] From this latter body of work, an abridged Chinese-English overview book appeared in 2005.[16] Alas, no comprehensive text appears to exist in English. A relatively recent and comprehensive bibliography, organized by period studied, has been compiled in 2012 by Cao, Theobald, Vogel, et al.;[17] for a shorter list see Wilkinson's Chinese history: a manual (2000).[15]
See also
- Earthly Branches
- History of measurement
- Systems of measurement
- Units of measurement
- Chinese numbers
- Chinese classifier
- Chemical elements in East Asian languages
- Vietnamese units of measurement
Footnotes
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 大總統令法律第1號 (7 January 1915). 公布「權度法」. Government Gazette Volume No. 957, pages 85 to 94 (in Chinese). National Central Library Gazette Online.
- ↑ "The Weights and Measures Act: Legislative History". Ministry of Justice (Republic of China).
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Weights and Measures Act (1929)". Legislative Yuan.
- 1 2 (Chinese) 1959 Gazette of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, No. 180, pages 311 to 312
- ↑ Decree of the State Council Concerning the Use of Uniform Legal Measures in the Country
- ↑ Yearbook HK. "Yearbook." Metrication. Retrieved on 26 April 2007.
- 1 2 3 4 Hong Kong legal definitions for metric, Imperial, and Chinese units and its traditional Chinese version
- 1 2 3 4 5 Law No. 14/92/M ((Chinese) 第14/92/M號法律; (Portuguese) Lei n.º 14/92/M)
- ↑ Schinz, 1996
- 1 2 Dubs (1938), pp. 276-280; (1955), p. 160, n. 7.
- 1 2 Hulsewé (1961), pp. 206–207.
- ↑ Hill (2015), "About the Measurements", pp. xxiii-xxiv.
- ↑ (Chinese) 1959 Gazette of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, No. 180, page 316
- ↑ Nachum Dershowitz, Edward M. Reingold, "Calendrical calculations", page 207
- 1 2 Endymion Wilkinson (2000). Chinese history: a manual (2 ed.). Harvard University Asia Center. pp. 244–245. ISBN 978-0-674-00249-4.
- ↑ Qiu Guangming (丘光明) with translation by Yanming Zhang (张延明), Zhongguo gudai jiliang shi tujian (中国古代计量史图鉴 — A concise history of ancient Chinese measures and weights), Hefei: Hefei gongyedaxue chubanshe (合肥工业大学出版社 — Hefei University Press), 2005, 190p., ISBN 7-81093-284-5; bilingual edition: Chinese-English
- ↑ Cao Jin, Ulrich Theobald, Hans Ulrich Vogel, et al., Chinese, Japanese And Western Research In Chinese Historical Metrology: A Classified Bibliography (1925-2012), Institute for Chinese and Korean Studies, University of Tübingen, Germany, 2012
References
- Hill, John E. (2015) Through the Jade Gate - China to Rome: A Study of the Silk Routes 1st to 2nd Centuries CE. Vol. I. John E. Hill. CreateSpace, Charleston, South Carolina. ISBN 978-1-5006-9670-2.
- Homer H. Dubs (1938): The History of the Former Han Dynasty by Pan Ku. Vol. One. Translator and editor: Homer H. Dubs. Baltimore. Waverly Press, Inc.
- Homer H. Dubs (1955): The History of the Former Han Dynasty by Pan Ku. Vol. Three. Translator and editor: Homer H. Dubs. Ithaca, New York. Spoken Languages Services, Inc.
- Hulsewé, (1961). "Han measures." A. F. P. Hulsewé, T'oung pao Archives, Vol. XLIX, Livre 3, pp. 206–207.
- Chinese Measurement Converter - Online Chinese / Metric / Imperial Converter
- Chinese/Metric/Imperial Measurement Converter
- Schinz, Alfred (1996). The magic square: cities in ancient China. Edition Axel Menges. p. 428. ISBN 3-930698-02-1.
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