# Dan (mass)

Dan (simplified Chinese: 担; traditional Chinese: 擔; pinyin: dàn), or Daam in Cantonese, Tan in Japanese and Taiwanese, also called "Chinese hundredweight" or "picul", is a traditional Chinese unit for weight measurement in East Asia. It originated in China before being introduced to neighboring countries. Nowaday, the mass of 1 dan equals 100 jin or 50 kg in mainland China, 60 kg in Taiwan and Japan,
and 60.478982 kg in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.
Dan is mostly used in the traditional markets.

## China Mainland

On June 25, 1959, the State Council of the People's Republic of China issued the Order on the Unified Measurement System, with minor amendment to the market system. "
Table of mass units in the People's Republic of China since 1959 :
| Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
| lí | 市厘 | 1⁄10000 | 50 mg | 0.001764 oz | cash |
| fēn | 市分 | 1⁄1000 | 500 mg | 0.01764 oz | candareen |
| qián | 市錢 | 1⁄100 | 5 g | 0.1764 oz | mace or Chinese dram |
| liǎng | 市兩 | 1⁄10 | 50 g | 1.764 oz | tael or Chinese ounce |
| jīn | 市斤 | 1 | 500 g | 1.102 lb | catty or Chinese pound formerly 16 liang = 1 jin |
| dàn | 市擔 | 100 | 50 kg | 110.2 lb | picul or Chinese hundredweight |
Legally, 1 dan equals 100 jins, 50 kg, or 110.2 lb.

## Taiwan

The so-called Taiwan dan is actually the dan used throughout China during the Qing Dynasty. 1 Taiwan dan is 60 kg, equal to 100 Taiwan jin.
Table of units of mass in Taiwan :
| Unit | Unit | Unit | Unit | Relative value | Metric | Metric | US & Imperial | US & Imperial | Notes |
| Taiwanese Hokkien | Hakka | Mandarin | Character | Relative value | Legal | Decimal | Exact | Approx. | Notes |
| Lî | Lî | Lí | 釐 | 1⁄1000 | ⁠3/80,000⁠ kg | 37.5 mg | ⁠3750/45,359,237⁠ lb | 0.5787 gr | Cash; Same as Japanese Rin |
| Hun | Fûn | Fēn | 分 | 1⁄100 | ⁠3/8000⁠ kg | 375 mg | ⁠37,500/45,359,237⁠ lb | 5.787 gr | Candareen; Same as Japanese Fun |
| Chîⁿ | Chhièn | Qián | 錢 | 1⁄10 | ⁠3/800⁠ kg | 3.75 g | ⁠375,000/45,359,237⁠ lb | 2.116 dr | Mace; Same as Japanese Momme (匁) |
| Niú | Liông | Liǎng | 兩 | 1 | ⁠3/80⁠ kg | 37.5 g | ⁠3,750,000/45,359,237⁠ lb | 21.16 dr | Tael |
| Kin/Kun | Kîn | Jīn | 斤 | 16 | ⁠3/5⁠ kg | 600 g | ⁠60,000,000/45,359,237⁠ lb | 1.323 lb | Catty; Same as Japanese Kin |
| Tàⁿ | Tâm | Dàn | 擔 | 1600 | 60 kg | 60 kg | ⁠6,000,000,000/45,359,237⁠ lb | 132.3 lb | Picul; Same as Japanese Tan |

## Hong Kong and Macau

Hong Kong law stipulates that one dan is equal to one hundred jin , which is 60.478982 kg.
Table of Chinese mass units in Hong Kong and Macau :
| Jyutping | Character | English | Portuguese | Relative value | Relation to the Traditional Chinese Units (Macau) | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
| lei4 | 厘 | li, cash | liz | 1⁄16000 | 1⁄10 condorim | 37.79931 mg | 0.02133 dr | |
| fan1 | 分 | fen, candareen (fan) | condorim | 1⁄1600 | 1⁄10 maz | 377.9936375 mg | 0.2133 dr | |
| cin4 | 錢 | qian, mace (tsin) | maz | 1⁄160 | 1⁄10 tael | 3.779936375 g | 2.1333 dr | |
| loeng2 | 兩 | liang, leung, tael | tael | 1⁄16 | 1⁄16 cate | 37.79936375 g | 1.3333 oz | 604.78982/16=37.79936375 |
| gan1 | 斤 | jin, kan, catty | cate | 1 | 1⁄100 pico | 604.78982 g | 1.3333 lb | Hong Kong and Macau share the definition. |
| daam3 | 擔 | dan, tam, picul | pico | 100 | None | 60.478982 kg | 133.3333 lb | Hong Kong and Macau share the definition. |
Singapore and Malaysia have similar regulations as Hong Kong, as they are all former British colonies.

## Japan

In Japan, 1 dan, or tan in Japanese pronunciation, is equal to 60 kg.
Table of units of mass :
| Unit | Unit | Kan | Metric | Metric | US & Imperial | US & Imperial |
| Romanised | Kanji | Kan | Legal | Decimal | Exact | Approx. |
| Mō | 毛 or 毫 | 1⁄1,000,000 | ⁠3/800,000⁠ kg | 3.75 mg | ⁠375/45,359,237⁠ lb | 8.267 μlb |
| Rin | 厘 | 1⁄100,000 | ⁠3/80,000⁠ kg | 37.5 mg | ⁠3750/45,359,237⁠ lb | 0.5787 gr |
| Fun | 分 | 1⁄10,000 | ⁠3/8000⁠ kg | 375 mg | ⁠37,500/45,359,237⁠ lb | 5.787 gr |
| Momme Monme | 匁 | 1⁄1000 | ⁠3/800⁠ kg | 3.75 g | ⁠375,000/45,359,237⁠ lb | 2.116 dr |
| Hyakume | 百目 | 1⁄10 | ⁠3/8⁠ kg | 375 g | ⁠37,500,000/45,359,237⁠ lb | 13.23 oz |
| Kin | 斤 | 4⁄25 | ⁠3/5⁠ kg | 600 g | ⁠60,000,000/45,359,237⁠ lb | 1.323 lb |
| Kan(me) | 貫(目) | 1 | ⁠15/4⁠ kg | 3.75 kg | ⁠375,000,000/45,359,237⁠ lb | 8.267 lb |
| Maru | 丸 | 8 | 30 kg | 30 kg | ⁠3,000,000,000/45,359,237⁠ lb | 66.14 lb |
| Tan | 担 or 擔 | 16 | 60 kg | 60 kg | ⁠6,000,000,000/45,359,237⁠ lb | 132.3 lb |
| Notes: Exact figures follow the 1891 Law of Weights & Measures and 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement. Metric values are exact. US & imperial approximations are rounded to four significant figures. |||||||