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CHAPTER IV
Appendix I

STANDARD WEIGHTS AND MEASURES OF HAN TIMES

The standard weights and measures are given in HS 21A: 15b-20a
as follows:

"The measures of length are the fen [OMITTED], the inch [OMITTED], the foot [OMITTED], the
chang [OMITTED], and the yin [OMITTED]. They are used to measure length. They
arose originally from the length of the huang-chung [a sonorous tube;
cf. Mh III, 302, 314-316]. Using medium sized kernels of black millet
[OMITTED] [which the Erh-ya III, p. 8a, defines as black millet], with the width
of one [kernel of] millet measure ninety fen—[that is] the length of the
huang-chung.[1] One [kernel of millet] is one fen; ten fen are an inch; ten
inches are a foot; ten feet are a chang; ten chang are a yin—thus the five
measures of length are clearly defined. . . .

"The measures of capacity are the yo [OMITTED], the ko [OMITTED], the sheng [OMITTED], the
tou [OMITTED], and the hu [OMITTED]. They are used to measure amounts. They
arose originally from the yo of the huang-chung. They are used to
measure quantities and therein to define its volume. Using medium
sized kernels of black millet, 1200 [kernels] fill its yo, using [clear] well
water to level off the grains which stick out above the top of the measure.
Double a yo makes a ko [a pun; the word for ko is used to mean `double'];
ten ko make a sheng; ten sheng make a tou; ten tou make a hu. Then the
five measures of capacity are excellent [standard instruments].

"The method of [construction of the standard measure is as follows]:
Using bronze, [take] a square [which is] a foot [on each side] and circumscribe
[a circle] outside of it, [on each] side making a [slight] additional
space. Its top is the hu, its bottom is the tou, its left ear is the sheng,
and its right ear is the ko and the yo. Its shape is like a bird-cup (chio).
. . . Its weight is two chün, . . . double 11,520 [shu]. . . . The persons who
hold the offices of the Great Granarian and of the Grand Minister of
Agriculture have charge of them. . . .

"The weights used with a balance are the shu [OMITTED], the tael [OMITTED], the
catty [OMITTED], the chün [OMITTED], and the picul [OMITTED]. They are used to weigh
things; with a level [balance] as a standard, to know their weight. They

arose originally from the weight in the huang-chung. One yo [the volumetric
contents of the huang-chung] contains 1200 [kernels of] millet and
weighs 12 shu. Double it is a tael [a pun, the word for `tael' also means
`double']. Twenty-four shu make a tael; sixteen taels make a catty;
thirty catties make a chün; four chün make a picul."

Fortunately we are not ignorant of the units contained in this table.
There has been preserved in the imperial palace at Peking an imperial
standard measure that is dated by its inscription in 9 A.D., during the
reign of Wang Mang. It came to light in 1924. A hundred of these
standard measures are said to have been made and distributed about
the empire, of which only this one remains. This measure is plainly
alluded to in the passage of the HS translated above. The inscription
on the hu of this standard measure is translated here:

The other measures have similar inscriptions, except for the numerals.

This standard measure is a bronze right cylinder in shape, with a membrane
across it one inch from one end, thus making of the two ends a hu
and a tou measure respectively. On one side is attached a similar cylinder
containing a sheng; on the other side is another cylinder, arranged
like the large one, making a ko and a yo measure. A drawing of this
measure is to be found in the Hsi-ch'ing Ku-chien [OMITTED], ch. 34;
an account of it is in Wang Kuo-wei, Kuan-t'ang Chi-lin [OMITTED],
no. 19. An account of the mathematics involved is to be found in the
Yenching Journal of Chinese Studies, Dec. 1930, no. 8, p. 1493 ff. An
excellent description, with photographs, is to be found in Ma Heng,
The Fifteen Different Classes of Measures as Given in the Lü Li Chih of
the Sui Dynasty History, translated by John C. Ferguson, Peiping, 1932.

Mr. H. Ma [OMITTED] of the National Palace Museum, Peiping, has very
kindly supplied me with measurements of this important standard
measure. The hu, which is said to be 1 ancient foot deep, measures
0.2310 meters in depth. The other measures are in proportion. The
volume of the hu is 19968.753 cc. with the others in proportion.

Mr. Ma Heng also very kindly sent me a copy of a paper by the
late Dr. Fu Liu [OMITTED], in which Dr. Liu tells that he examined four

weights dating from the time of Wang Mang, which were in the possession
of the Peiping [OMITTED]. These four weights are evidently
of 3, 6, 9, and 60 catties respectively, and weighed 730.050 g.,
1446.150 g., 2222.870 g., and 14775.000 g., respectively. The first two
have no inscription; the third is marked "[OMITTED] Nine Legal Catties,"
and the fourth is marked "[OMITTED] Two Legal [Chün]." The legal weight
of a catty in Wang Mang times, as determined by these four weights,
was 243.350 g., 241.025 g., 246.986 g., and 246.250 g., respectively, the
average being 244.028 g. Dr. Liu thinks this weight is quite reliable;
we may then take 244 g. as the weight of the ancient catty.

Dr. Liu had previously weighed the standard measure of Wang Mang,
which the HS says (in the passage quoted above) weighs two chün.
From that weight he calculated the catty as 226.667 g. I have also
checked that weight by millet grains. Wang Hsien-ch'ien says that the
millet in terms of which these measures and weights are given is p'ei [OMITTED],
which is said by the Erh-ya to have two kernels in one husk. But the
Erh-ya seems to distinguish between p'ei and chü [OMITTED] (the word used
in the HS); seed experts moreover doubt the existence of any such millet
as the supposed p'ei, for all known millets have only one seed in a spikelet.
It may be a rare sport. Panicum miliaceum is of the right size to
be the millet referred to; the black veronesh variety is a dark brown
and could easily be denoted by the definition of chü in the Erh-ya,
"black millet." Ten of its seeds set side by side measure 21.8 mm.,
which is only a little smaller than the Han inch. Stein (Serindia, I,
374) measured the inch of later Han times as 22.9 mm. Data found
on a piece of silk of Han times (cf. Chavannes, Documents decouverts
par Aurel Stein, p. 118) indicate that the Han inch was 22.7 mm.

Twenty average size seeds were weighed by an expert and the weight
of a seed (average of three weighings) was found to be 0.00590 grams,
so that the ancient tael weighed about 218 gr. or 14 g. According to
the size, this weight should be a little under the standard Wang Mang
weight. To check this weight, 111 ancient cash, all with the inscription,
"Half tael," and dating from Ch'in and Han times, loaned by Dr. A. W.
Hummel, were weighed. Four large cash averaged 96.1 gr. each. The
two best medium sized cash averaged 95.7 gr. each. Thirteen medium
sized cash averaged 74.8 gr. each. Nine small cash seemingly in good
condition averaged 42.2 gr. each. Eighty-five ordinary small cash averaged
38.3 gr. each. Since the Han dynasty regularly issued light-weight
cash and permitted private coinage, it is natural that there should have
been large variations in the weight of cash. If we take the weight of

the largest of these cash as being an actual half-tael, as its inscription
says, the ancient tael weighed 192 gr., not far from the weight found
from the miliaceum seeds. Something should be added to this weight
because of the wear and tear on coins. Chavannes (Mh II, 103, n. 2)
reports a statement in the Chin-shih-so (sect. Chin-sou, B) that the ancient
catty weighed 6 taels of the present weight or 225 grams, which checks
well with the weight we found.

To check the volumetric data, the volume of 9600 miliaceum seeds
was measured and found to be 81 ml., so that the volume of a yo would
be 10.1 cc., an amount slightly larger than that in the Wang Mang
measure. Laufer (Chinese Pottery of the Han Dynasty, p. 293) however
notes a pottery ewer inscribed "Contains one sheng; weighs 14 taels;
52 B.C. No. 5." He reports its capacity as 790 cc., which is much too
large; its weight, about 18 ounces, is also too large; this measure must
be rejected as representing a marked variant.

Stein (ibid. II, 660, 669) found several foot-rules of Han times in the
desert, which measured about 9 inches (Eng. meas.) in length. Wang
Kuo-wei (Jour. N. C. Br. R. A. S., 59: 111 ff) reports a foot-measure of
the Wang Mang period a little over 9 inches (Eng. meas.) in length; he
checked its length by the `trousers cash,' four of which made a foot.

Using the above data from the Wang Mang standard measure and
from the weights, the following table of Han standard measures is obtained:

LENGTH

1 fen = 2.31 mm. = 0.091 in. Eng. meas.

10 fen = 1 inch = 23.10 mm. = 0.909 in. Eng. meas.

10 inches = 1 foot = 231.0 mm. = 9.094 in. Eng. meas.

10 feet = 1 chang = 2.31 meters = 7 ft. 6.94 in. Eng. meas.

10 chang = 1 yin = 23.10 meters = 75 ft. 9.4 in. Eng. meas.

CAPACITY

1 yo = 9.98437 cc. = 0.60927 cu. in.

2 yo = 1 ko = 19.9687 cc. = 1.2185 cu. in.

10 ko = 1 sheng = 199.687 cc. = 12.1856 cu. in. = 0.36 U. S.
dry pint.

10 sheng = 1 tou = 1996.875 cc. = 121.8561 cu. in. = 1.81 U. S.
dry quart.

10 tou = 1 hu = 19968.753 cc. = 1218.5608 cu. in. = 0.565 U. S.
bushels = 19.9682 liters.

WEIGHT

1 shu = 9.8 gr. = 0.64 g.

24 shu = 1 tael = 235.4 gr. = 15.25 g.

16 taels = 1 catty = 8.6 oz. avoir. = 244 g.

30 catties = 1 chün = 16 lb. 2.2 oz. avoir. = 7.32 kilograms.

4 chün = 1 picul = 64 lb. 8.8 oz. avoir. = 29.3 kilograms.

These measures are all smaller than present day measures. Wang
Kuo-wei (cf. Jour. N. C. Br. R. A. S.) has described the causes and manner
in which the foot measure was lengthened. Probably similar causes
operated with other measures. Whereas in Han times 10 tou made a hu,
later five tou made a hu. The very existence of a standard measure
illustrates forcibly the degree of imperial organization at that time.