Chinese unit - Definition and Overview

In measurement, Chinese units (市制 Pinyin: Shìzhì, "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 small units li (厘) and fen (分) have the same name 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 shichen (时辰) = 4 ke
• 1 ke (刻); (Modern "ke" refers to a quarter-hour instead of quarter of 1 shichen)

Western equivalences:

• 1 shichen (时辰) = 2 hours

See also

• Earthly Branches