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 nicely to SI units. Many of the units were formerly 16-based.
Note: The small units li (厘) and fen (分) have 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）
Western equivalences:
- 1 li = 500 metres
- 1 zhang = 3.3333 metres
- 1 chi = 33.3333 centimetre
- 1 cun = 3.3333 centimetre
Measures of area
- 1 qing (市顷) = 100 mu
- 1 mu (市亩 / 畝) = 10 fen = 60 square zhang
- 1 fen (市分) = 10 li
- 1 li (市厘)
- 1 square zhang (方丈) = 100 square chi
- 1 square chi (方尺) = 100 square cun
- 1 square cun (方寸）
Western equivalences:
- 1 qing = 6.6667 hectares
- 1 mu = 6.6667 ares
- 1 li = .6667 square metre
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.
- 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）
Western equivalences:
- 1 dan = 50 kilograms
- 1 jin = 500 grams
- 1 li = 50 milligram
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)
Western equivalences:
Measures of time
- 1 shichen (时辰) = 4 ke
- 1 ke (刻); (Modern "ke" refers to quarter of 1 hour instead of quarter of 1 shichen)
Western equivalences:
See also: Earthly Branches
