{{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,<ref name="PRC1959" /> 37.5 mg in Taiwan,<ref>[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.</ref> 37.8 mg in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia,<ref name="hk_law">{{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}}</ref><ref name="sg_law">{{Cite web |title=Weights and Measures Act |url=https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/WMA1975#Sc3- |website=Statutes of the Republic of Singapore}}</ref><ref name="my_law">{{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}}</ref> and 37.8 mg in Vietnam.<ref name=vn2005/> ''Li'' is mostly used in the traditional markets.<ref name="PRC1959">{{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</ref>
==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.<ref>{{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 }}</ref> {|class="wikitable" |+ Table of mass units in the People's Republic of China since 1959<ref name="PRC1959" /> |- !Pinyin !Character<ref>{{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</ref> !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<br /> 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''.<ref name="PRC1959" />
==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''.<ref>{{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 }}</ref>
{| 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 Hokkien!!Hakka!!Mandarin!!Character !Legal!!Decimal!!Exact!!Approx. |- | '''Lî''' || '''Lî''' || '''Lí''' ||align=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'' |- | Hun || Fûn || Fēn ||align=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'' |- | Chîⁿ || Chhièn || Qián ||align=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}}) |- | Niú || Liông || Liǎng ||align=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/Kun || Kîn || Jīn ||align=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'' |- | Tàⁿ || Tâm || Dàn ||align=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.<ref name="hk_law" />
{|class="wikitable" |+ Table of Chinese mass units in Hong Kong<ref name="hk_law" /> and Macau<ref name="MO">''Law 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.<sup>o</sup> 14/92/M])</ref>
!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.<ref name="sg_law"/>
==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.<ref name=vn2005>{{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}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" |+ Early 20th-century units of weight |- ! Name in ''Chữ Quốc ngữ'' !! Hán/Nôm name !! Traditional value !! Traditional conversion !! Modern value !! Modern conversion |- | ''tấn'' || 擯 || 604.5 kg || 10 ''tạ'' || {{nobr|1 000}} kg || 10 ''tạ'' |- | ''quân''<ref name="MCFA">{{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}}</ref> || || 302.25 kg || 5 ''tạ'' || 500 kg || obsolete |- | ''tạ'' || 榭 || 60.45 kg || 10 ''yến'' || 100 kg || 10 ''yến'' |- | ''bình''<ref name="MCFA" /> || || 30.225 kg || 5 ''yến'' || 50 kg || obsolete |- | ''yến'' || || 6.045 kg || 10 ''cân'' || 10 kg || 10 ''cân'' |- | ''cân'' || 斤 || 604.5 g || 16 ''lạng'' || 1 kg || 10 ''lạng'' |- | ''nén'' || || 378 g || 10 ''lạng'' || || |- | ''lạng'' || 兩 || 37.8 g || 10 ''đồng'' || 100 g || |- | ''đồng'' or ''tiền'' || 錢 || 3.78 g || 10 ''phân'' || || |- | ''phân'' || 分 || 0.38 g || 10 ''ly'' || || |- | '''''ly''''' or '''''li''''' || '''厘''' || '''37.8 mg''' || '''10 ''hào''''' || || |- | ''hào'' || 毫 || 3.8 mg || 10 ''ti'' || || |- | ''ti'' || 絲 || 0.4 mg || 10 ''hốt'' || || |- | ''hốt'' || 忽 || 0.04 mg || 10 ''vi'' || || |- | ''vi'' || 微 || 0.004 mg || || || |}
For more information on the Chinese mass measurement system, please see article Jin (mass).
==See also== * Chinese units of measurement * Hong Kong units of measurement * Taiwanese units of measurement * Vietnamese units of measurement
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *中國度量衡#衡 *市制 *厘 (質量單位)
Category:Units of mass Category:Chinese units of measurement Category:Customary units of measurement