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Li (mass)

{{Short description|Traditional Chinese unit for weight}}

Li ({{lang-zh|s=厘 |t=釐 |p=lí}}), called lei in Cantonese, ly in Vietnamese or "cash" in English, is a traditional Chinese unit for weight measurement. It originated in China before being introduced to neighboring countries in East Asia. Nowaday, the mass of 1 li equals 50 mg (i.e., 0.05 grams) in mainland China, 37.5 mg in Taiwan,[http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/2001/appendix6.htm Weights and Measures in Use in Taiwan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229224604/http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/2001/appendix6.htm# |date=2010-12-29}} from the Republic of China Yearbook – Taiwan 2001.

37.8 mg in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia,{{Cite web |title=Weights and Measures Ordinance |url=https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap68!en?xpid=ID_1438403555032_004 |website=Laws of Hong Kong}}{{Cite web |title=Weights and Measures Act |url=https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/WMA1975#Sc3- |website=Statutes of the Republic of Singapore}}{{Cite web |title=Weights and Measures Act 1972 |url=http://www.kpdnkk.gov.my/akta-timbang-dan-sukat-1972 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201182503/http://www.kpdnkk.gov.my/akta-timbang-dan-sukat-1972 |archive-date=2014-02-01 |website=Laws of Malaysia}} and 37.8 mg in Vietnam. Li is mostly used in the traditional markets.{{in lang|zh}} [http://www.gov.cn/zwgk/2011-11/09/content_1988933.htm 1959 Gazette of the State Council of the People's Republic of China], [http://www.gov.cn/gongbao/shuju/1959/gwyb195916.pdf No. 180], pages 311 to 312

China Mainland

On June 25, 1959, the State Council of the People's Republic of China issued the "Order on the Unified Measurement System", retaining the market measure system, with minor amendment.{{Cite web |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/ziliao/2005-01/10/content_2440001.htm |title=国务院关于统一我国计量制度的命令 (Order of the State Council on unifying my country's measurement system)|access-date=2015-01-12 |archive-date=2010-12-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206082614/http://news.xinhuanet.com/ziliao/2005-01/10/content_2440001.htm }}

class="wikitable"

|+ Table of mass units in the People's Republic of China since 1959

Pinyin

!Character{{in lang|zh}} [http://www.gov.cn/zwgk/2011-11/09/content_1988933.htm 1959 Gazette of the State Council of the People's Republic of China], [http://www.gov.cn/gongbao/shuju/1959/gwyb195916.pdf No. 180], page 316

!Relative value

!Metric value

!Imperial value

!Notes

align=center|lí

|align=right|{{lang|zh|市厘}}

|align=right|{{frac|{{val|10000}}}}

|align=right|50 mg

|align=right|{{val|0.001764|u=oz}}

|align=left|cash

align=center|fēn

|align=right|{{lang|zh-hant|市分}}

|align=right|{{frac|1000}}

|align=right|500 mg

|align=right|{{val|0.01764|u=oz}}

|align=left|candareen

align=center|qián

|align=right|{{lang|zh|市錢}}

|align=right|{{frac|100}}

|align=right|5 g

|align=right|0.1764 oz

|align=left|mace or Chinese dram

align=center|liǎng

|align=right|{{lang|zh-hant|市兩}}

|align=right|{{frac|10}}

|align=right|50 g

|align=right|1.764 oz

|align=left|tael or Chinese ounce

align=center|jīn

|align=right|{{lang|zh|市斤}}

|align=right|1

|align=right|500 g

|align=right|1.102 lb

|align=left|catty or Chinese pound
formerly 16 liang = 1 jin

align=center|dàn

|align=right|{{lang|zh-hant|市擔}}

|align=right|100

|align=right|50 kg

|align=right|110.2 lb

|align=left|picul or Chinese hundredweight

where 1 li equals 50 mg or 0.05 grams, and 10 li equals 1 fen.

Taiwan

The Taiwanese still use the old weights and measures of the Chinese Qing Dynasty. 1 Taiwan li is equal to 37.5 mg, or 1/10 Taiwan fen.{{cite book|author1-link=Tonio Andrade |last=Andrade |first=Tonio |year=2005 |title=How Taiwan Became Chinese: Dutch, Spanish, and Han Colonization in the Seventeenth Century |url=http://www.gutenberg-e.org/andrade/ |publisher=Columbia University Press |chapter=Appendix A: Weights, Measures, and Exchange Rates |chapter-url=http://www.gutenberg-e.org/andrade/appA.html }}

class=wikitable

|+ Table of units of mass in Taiwan

!colspan=4|Unit!!rowspan=2|Relative value

!colspan=2| Metric!!colspan=2| US & Imperial!!rowspan=2|Notes

Taiwanese HokkienHakkaMandarinCharacter

!Legal

DecimalExactApprox.
LîLîLíalign=center| {{large|{{lang|zh-tw|釐}}}}align=right| {{frac|1000}} 

|align=right| {{sfrac|3|80,000}}{{nbsp}}kg

align=right| 37.5{{nbsp}}mg

|align=right| {{sfrac|3750|45,359,237}}{{nbsp}}lb

align=right| 0.5787{{nbsp}}gr

|Cash; Same as Japanese Rin

HunFûnFēnalign=center| {{large|{{lang|zh-tw|分}}}}align=right| {{frac|100}} 

|align=right| {{sfrac|3|8000}}{{nbsp}}kg

align=right| 375{{nbsp}}mg

|align=right| {{sfrac|37,500|45,359,237}}{{nbsp}}lb

align=right| 5.787{{nbsp}}gr

|Candareen; Same as Japanese Fun

ChîⁿChhiènQiánalign=center| {{large|{{lang|zh-tw|錢}}}}align=right| {{frac|10}} 

|align=right| {{sfrac|3|800}}{{nbsp}}kg

align=right| 3.75{{nbsp}}g

|align=right| {{sfrac|375,000|45,359,237}}{{nbsp}}lb

align=right| 2.116{{nbsp}}dr

|Mace; Same as Japanese Momme ({{lang|ja|匁}})

NiúLiôngLiǎngalign=center| {{large|{{lang|zh-tw|兩}}}}align=right| 1 

|align=right| {{sfrac|3|80}}{{nbsp}}kg

align=right| 37.5{{nbsp}}g

|align=right| {{sfrac|3,750,000|45,359,237}}{{nbsp}}lb

align=right| 21.16{{nbsp}}dr

|Tael

Kin/KunKînJīnalign=center| {{large|{{lang|zh-tw|斤}}}}align=right| 16 

|align=right| {{sfrac|3|5}}{{nbsp}}kg

align=right| 600{{nbsp}}g

|align=right| {{sfrac|60,000,000|45,359,237}}{{nbsp}}lb

align=right| 1.323{{nbsp}}lb

|Catty; Same as Japanese Kin

TàⁿTâmDànalign=center| {{large|{{lang|zh-tw|擔}}}}align=right| 1600 

| colspan=2 align=right| 60{{nbsp}}kg

|align=right| {{sfrac|6,000,000,000|45,359,237}}{{nbsp}}lb

align=right| 132.3{{nbsp}}lb

|Picul; Same as Japanese Tan

Hong Kong and Macau

In Hong Kong, one li is equal to 1/10 fen, which is 37.799 mg or 0.037799 grams.

class="wikitable"

|+ Table of Chinese mass units in Hong Kong

and MacauLaw No. 14/92/M ({{in lang|zh}} {{lang|zh|[http://bo.io.gov.mo/bo/i/92/34/lei14_cn.asp 第14/92/M號法律]}}; {{in lang|pt}} [http://bo.io.gov.mo/bo/i/92/34/lei14.asp Lei n.o 14/92/M])

!Jyutping

!Character

!English

!Portuguese

!Relative value

!Relation to the Traditional Chinese Units (Macau)

!Metric value

!Imperial value

!Notes

align="right" | lei4

| align="right" | {{lang|zh|厘}}

| align="center" | li (cash)

|align=right| liz

|align=right| {{frac|{{val|16000}}}}

|{{frac|10}} condorim

| align="right" | {{val|37.79931|u=mg}}

|align=right| {{val|0.02133|u=dr}}

|align=left|

align="right" | fan1

| align="right" | {{lang|zh-hant|分}}

| align="center" | fen (fan, candareen)

|align=right| condorim

|align=right| {{frac|1600}}

|{{frac|10}} maz

| align="right" | {{val|377.9936375|u=mg}}

|align=right| 0.2133 dr

|align=left|

align="right" | cin4

| align="right" | {{lang|zh|錢}}

| align="center" | qian (mace, tsin)

|align=right| maz

|align=right| {{frac|160}}

|{{frac|10}} tael

| align="right" | {{val|3.779936375|u=g}}

|align=right| 2.1333 dr

|align=left|

align="right" | loeng2

| align="right" | {{lang|zh-hant|兩}}

| align="center" | liang (leung, tael)

|align=right| tael

|align=right| {{frac|16}}

|{{frac|16}} cate

| align="right" | {{val|37.79936375|u=g}}

|align=right| 1.3333 oz

|align=left| 604.78982/16=37.79936375

align="right" | gan1

| align="right" | {{lang|zh|斤}}

| align="center" | jin (gan, catty)

|align=right| cate

|align=right| 1

|{{frac|100}} pico

| align="right" | 604.78982 g

|align=right| 1.3333 lb

|align=left| Hong Kong and Macau share the definition.

align="right" | daam3

| align="right" | {{lang|zh-hant|擔}}

| align="center" | dan, (tam, picul)

|align=right| pico

|align=right| 100

|None

| align="right" | 60.478982 kg

|align=right| 133.3333 lb

|align=left| Hong Kong and Macau share the definition.

Singapore and Malaysia have similar regulations as Hong Kong, as they are all former British colonies.

Vietnam

In Vietnam, 1 li or ly is equal to 37.8 mg (i.e., 0.038 grams) or 1/10 fen by traditional value.{{cite web|title=Vietnam, units of mass|work=Sizes|publisher=Sizes, Inc|date=2005-12-28|url=http://www.sizes.com/units/charts/UTBLVietnam_wts.htm}}

class="wikitable"

|+ Early 20th-century units of weight

Name in Chữ Quốc ngữHán/Nôm nameTraditional valueTraditional conversionModern valueModern conversion
tấn擯604.5 kg10 tạ{{nobr|1 000}} kg10 tạ
quân{{cite book|title=Manuel de conversation française-annamite|trans-title=French-Annamite conversation manual|location=Saigon|publisher=Imprimerie de la Mission|year=1911|pages=175–178|language=fr}}302.25 kg5 tạ500 kgobsolete
tạ榭60.45 kg10 yến100 kg10 yến
bình30.225 kg5 yến50 kgobsolete
yến6.045 kg10 cân10 kg10 cân
cân斤604.5 g16 lạng1 kg10 lạng
nén378 g10 lạng
lạng兩37.8 g10 đồng100 g
đồng or tiền錢3.78 g10 phân
phân分0.38 g10 ly
ly or li厘37.8 mg10 hào
hào毫3.8 mg10 ti
ti絲0.4 mg10 hốt
hốt忽0.04 mg10 vi
vi微0.004 mg

For more information on the Chinese mass measurement system, please see article Jin (mass).

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

Category:Units of mass

Category:Chinese units of measurement

Category:Customary units of measurement