# Li (mass)

Li (simplified Chinese: 厘; traditional Chinese: 釐; pinyin: 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, 37.5 mg in Taiwan, 37.8 mg in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, and 37.8 mg in Vietnam. Li 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", retaining the market measure system, with minor amendment.
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 |
where 1 li equals 50 mg or 0.05 grams, and 10 li equals 1 fen.

## 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.
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

In Hong Kong, one li is equal to 1/10 fen, which is 37.799 mg or 0.037799 grams.
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 (fan, candareen) | 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 (gan, 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.

## 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.
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 | 1 000 kg | 10 tạ |
| quân | | 302.25 kg | 5 tạ | 500 kg | obsolete |
| tạ | 榭 | 60.45 kg | 10 yến | 100 kg | 10 yến |
| bình | | 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).