WEIGHTS, MEASURES, MONEY
1 liang
16 liang 100 kin
(tael) make 1 kin
120 kin
(catty) make 1 tan
CHINESE
WEIGHTS
(tael) 1.333 oz. avoir., or 37.78 grammes F(catty): 1.333 lbs. avoir., or 604 53 grammes
(picul):
(catty) make 1 shik (stone)
***
=
133-333 lbs. avoir., or 60.453 kilogrammes 160 000 lbs. avoir., or 72.544 kilogrammes Four ounces equal three tacls; one pound equals three quarters of a catty or twelve taels; one hundredweight equals 84 catties; one ton equals 16 piculs 80 catties.
MEASURE OF CAPACITY
1 koh 合(gill)
=
0.103 litre
10 koh
合 make 1 sheng 升(pint)
=
1.031 litre
10 sheng make 1 tou (peck)
斗
===
10.31 litres
MEASURE OF LENGTH
1 fun A
14 inch English
10 fun
分 make 1 tsun
10 tsun
make 1 chih
10 chih
make 1 chang✈ (pole)
1.41 inch English
14.1 inches English
= 11 ft. 9 inches English
The length of the Chang is fixed by the Treaty of Tientsin at 141 inches.
(inch)
(foot)
=
5 chih
make 1 pú
步(pace)
360 pú
make 1 li
里
10 li
里 make 1 tang-sun 迅塘 (league)
250 li
make 1 tu
度 (degree)
about 5 feet English
about English Mile
about 3 English Miles
5 chih
24 pú
60 pú
4 kioh
100 mow
LAND MEASURE
1 chih 尺
make 1 pú
1 fun 芬 步make
步 make 1 kioh 角
make 1 mow
make 1 king
13.126 inches
30.323 square feet
80.862 square yards
202.156 square yards
26.73 square poles
16.7 acres
The Mow, which is the unit of measurement, is almost exactly one-sixth of an acre.
Weights and measures in China vary in every province and almost every district, and
differ in the same districts for different kinds of goods. The words picul, catty, tael, mace, and candareen are not Chinese.
MONEY
1 li 釐 (cash)
*032 of a penny
10 li
10 fên
10 ch'ien
make 1 liang (tael)
make 1 fên 分 (candareen) 分 make 1 ch'ien錢(mace)
ij
=
•32 of a penny
3.2 pence
2s. 8d.
The Tael may be taken as worth one and a third silver dollar.
The above are weights of silver. They are not represented by any coin except the copper cash, which is supposed to be the equivalent in value of a li of silver, but the value of which differs greatly in different districts and at different times. They have no uniform intrinsic value, being made large and small and of varying composition. Silver is used uncoined in ingots, usually of fifty taels more or less, in weight, called "shoes," the usual shape being not unlike a Chinese shoe. In the maritime district from Canton to Amoy chopped dollars are the general medium of exchange. In 1890 a mint was established for the coinage of silver dollars and subsidiary pieces, and more recently mints for silver and copper coinage have been opened at Several centres. The coins, although supposed to be of equal weight and fineness, are differently inscribed. Some of the foreign banks issue tael and dollar notes of the value of one dollar and upwards at the larger of the Treaty Ports.
HONGKONG AND STRAITS SETTLEMENTS
MONEY:-The legal tender in Hongkong is British or Mexican Dollars, local 50, 20, 10 and 5 cent silver pieces, to the amount of $2, bronze cents and mils. The circulation of any foreign silver or copper coin other than the Mexican dollar is prohibited. Some of the banks issue notes from one dollar upwards. Mexican and British dollars were demonetised in the Straits Settlements in 1904 and a Straits dollar substituted. The value of this dollar is fixed at 2s.
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