Traditional units of measurement in China
East Asia · 12 documented units · reviewed 2026-07-31
Quick answer
China’s market system is metricated: 1 jin = 500 g, 1 liang = 50 g, 1 mu = 666.67 m². These values are exact by the 1959 reform.
How measurement works in China
The 1959 measurement reform redefined the market units against SI: the jin became exactly 500 g and the chi exactly 1/3 m. That makes modern Chinese traditional units exact, unlike almost every other vernacular system.
The mu remains the working unit of Chinese agriculture and rural land contracting at 666.67 m² (1/15 hectare), and agricultural yield statistics are still commonly reported per mu.
Taiwan and Hong Kong kept different jin values — 600 g in Taiwan, 604.79 g in Hong Kong — so a "catty" price is not portable between the three markets.
area units of China
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mu (亩) | 1 Mu (亩) = 666.67 square metre | agriculture | Mu (亩) → square metresIn-depth guide |
| Qing (顷) | 1 Qing (顷) = 66,666.67 square metre | agriculture | Qing (顷) → square metres |
mass units of China
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jin/Catty (China) | 1 Jin/Catty (China) = 0.5 kilogram | trade, cooking | Jin/Catty (China) → kilogramsIn-depth guide |
| Liang/Tael | 1 Liang/Tael = 0.05 kilogram | jewellery, cooking, precious-metals | Liang/Tael → kilogramsIn-depth guide |
| Qian/Mace | 1 Qian/Mace = 0.005 kilogram | jewellery, precious-metals | Qian/Mace → kilogramsIn-depth guide |
| Dan/Picul | 1 Dan/Picul = 50 kilogram | trade, agriculture | Dan/Picul → kilogramsIn-depth guide |
length units of China
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chi (Chinese Foot) | 1 Chi (Chinese Foot) = 0.3333 metre | textiles, general | Chi (Chinese Foot) → metresIn-depth guide |
| Cun (Chinese Inch) | 1 Cun (Chinese Inch) = 0.03333 metre | general | Cun (Chinese Inch) → metresIn-depth guide |
| Zhang | 1 Zhang = 3.333 metre | general | Zhang → metres |
| Li (Chinese Mile) | 1 Li (Chinese Mile) = 500 metre | navigation | Li (Chinese Mile) → metresIn-depth guide |
volume units of China
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheng (升) | 1 Sheng (升) = 1 litre | cooking, trade | Sheng (升) → litres |
| Dou (斗) | 1 Dou (斗) = 10 litre | trade, agriculture | Dou (斗) → litres |
Units that vary within China
- Jin/Catty (China) — value depends on locality
- Chi (Chinese Foot) — value depends on locality
Before you convert
- Mainland jin (500 g), Taiwan jin (600 g) and Hong Kong catty (604.79 g) are three different masses under one English word.
- Pre-1959 documents use the older jin of roughly 596.8 g; the reform is the dividing line.
Sources
- PRC State Council measurement reform, 1959
- Hong Kong Weights and Measures Ordinance, Cap. 68
See our methodology and data provenance pages, or review published corrections.