Chinese units

In measurement, Chinese units (市制 Pinyin: Shėzhė, "city standard") are the units used in Imperial China, and are still used. The word "city" (市 shi4) is added in front of most of the units for distinction between SI units of the same name. For reference, the word "common/standard" (公 gong1) is added in front of SI units.

The Chinese units were standardized during the last century to make them convert roundly to SI units. Many of the units were formerly 16 based.

Note: The names li (厘) and fen (分) for small units are the same for length, area, and mass; however, they refer to different kinds of measurements.

Measures of length

1 li (市里) = 15 yin = 150 zhang

* this li is not the small li below, which has a different character and tone

1 yin (引) = 10 zhang

1 zhang (市丈) = 2 bu = 10 chi

1 bu (步) = 5 chi

1 chi (市尺) = 10 cun

1 cun (市寸) = 10 fen

1 fen (市分) = 10 li

1 li (市厘) = 10 hao

1 hao (毫) = 10 si

1 si （丝）= 10 hu

1 hu （忽）

SI equivalents:

1 li = 500 m

1 zhang = 3.3333 m

1 chi = 333.333 mm

1 cun = 33.333 mm

Measures of area

1 qing (市顷) = 100 mu

1 mu (市亩 / 畝) = 10 fen = 60 zhang²

1 fen (市分) = 10 li

1 li (市厘)

1 zhang² (方丈) = 100 chi²

1 chi² (方尺) = 100 cun²

1 cun² (方寸）

SI equivalents:

1 qing = 66,667 m²

1 mu = 666.67 m²

1 li = 0.6667 m²

Measures of mass

These units are used to measure mass of objects. They are also famous for measuring monetary objects such as gold and silver.

The decimal system is not wholly adopted among Chinese citizens.

1 dan (市担 / 擔) = 100 jin
1 jin (市斤) = 10 liang (formerly 16 liang = 1 jin)
1 liang (市两) = 10 qian
1 qian (市钱) = 10 fen
1 fen (市分) = 10 li
1 li (市厘) = 10 hao
1 hao (毫) = 10 si
1 si (絲) = 10 hu
1 hu (忽）

SI equivalents:

1 dan = 50 kg

1 jin = 500 g

1 li = 50 mg

Measures of volume

These units are used to measure grains.

1 dan (市石) = 10 dou
1 dou (市斗) = 10 sheng
1 sheng (市升) = 10 ge
1 ge (合) = 10 shao
1 shao (勺）= 10 cuo
1 cuo (撮)

Metric equivalents:

1 sheng = 1 litre

Measures of time

1 ri (日) = 12 shichen

1 shichen (时辰) = 8 ke

1 ke (刻) = 60 fen

1 fen (分)

Western equivalences:

1 ri = 1 day

1 shichen = 2 hours

1 ke = 15 minutes

1 fen = 15 seconds

Except for several short periods of a few years each, before 1645 (before the Qing dynasty) 1 ri = 12 shichen = 100 ke and 1 shichen = 8 1/3 ke = 8 ke 20 fen. Since 1645 (except for 1665–1669), the above equivalents have been true.

Chinese units

Chinese units

Measures of length

Measures of area

Measures of mass

Measures of volume

Measures of time

See also