Li (unit)
Encyclopedia
The li is a traditional Chinese unit
of distance
, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer (approx. 1640 feet). A modern li consists of 1,500 Chinese "feet" or chi
and, in the past, was often translated as a "mile." Since the li has generally been only about a third as long as the mile
, translating the character as "Chinese mile" or simply "li" is much less likely to produce confusion or error.
In practice however, as late as the 1940s, a li did not represent a fixed measure. It could be longer or shorter depending on the effort required to cover the distance.
The character 里 combines the characters for "field" (田, tián) and "earth" (土, tǔ), since it was considered to be about the length of a single village. In Chinese, li is sometimes prefaced by the character shi
(市, shì) to distinguish it from the kilometer proper or gongli (公里, gōnglǐ).
There is also another li (Traditional: 釐, Simplified: 厘, lí) that indicates a unit of length 1/1000 of a chi, but it is used much less commonly. This li is used in the People's Republic of China
as the equivalent of the centi- prefix in metric units, thus limi (厘米, límǐ) for centimeter. The tonal difference makes it distinguishable to speakers of Chinese, but unless specifically noted otherwise, any reference to li will always refer to the longer traditional unit and not to either the shorter unit or the kilometer. This traditional unit, in terms of historical usage and distance proportion, can be considered the East Asia
n counterpart to the Western league unit
.
at the founding of the Chinese civilization around 2600 BCE and standardized by Yu the Great
of the Xia Dynasty
six hundred years later. Although the value varied from state to state during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, historians give a general value to the li of 405 meters prior to the Qin Dynasty
imposition of its standard in the 3rd century BCE.
The basic Chinese traditional unit of distance was the chi. As its value changed over time, so did the li’s. In addition, the number of chi per li was sometimes altered. To add further complexity, under the Qin Dynasty, the li was set at 360 "paces" (步, bù), but the number of chi per bu was subsequently changed from 6 to 5, shortening the li by 1/6. Thus the Qin li of about 576 meters became with other changes the Han
li, which was standardized at 415.8 meters.
The basic units of measurement fortunately remained stable over the Qin and Han periods. A bronze imperial standard measure, dated 9 CE, had been preserved at the Imperial Palace in Beijing, and came to light in 1924. This has allowed very accurate conversions to modern measurements, which has provided a new and extremely useful additional tool in the identification of place names and routes. These measurements have been confirmed in many ways including the discovery of number of rulers found at archaeological sites, and careful measurements of distances between known points.
The Han li was calculated by Dubs to be 415.8 metres and all indications are that this is a precise and reliable determination.
Under the Tang Dynasty
(618–907 CE), the li was approximately 323 meters.
In the late Manchu
or Qing Dynasty
, the number of chi was increased from 1,500 per li to 1,800. This had a value of 2115 feet or 644.6 meters. In addition, the Qing added a longer unit called the tu, which was equal to 150 li (96.7 km).
These changes were undone by the Republic of China
of Chiang Kai-shek
, who adopted the metric system in 1928; but the People's Republic of China
under Mao Zedong
reinstituted the traditional units as a measure of anti-imperialism and cultural pride.
In 1984, the PRC officially adopted the metric system, but found a place within it for the traditional units, which were restandardized to metric values. In the People's Republic, a li is now exactly half a kilometer, or 500 meters. The Republic of China (also known as Taiwan
) does not use the li at all, but only the gongli or kilometer.
However, although "li" still refers to the traditional unit and one must say "gongli" to mean kilometer, with the conversion to metric, the kilometer has become the basic unit of long distances even within the PRC. This is in counter-distinction to weight
, where the traditional jin (0.5 kg) is still frequently preferred in daily use over the metric kilogram or gongjin.
(where it is still written 里).
Although the Chinese units had been unofficially used since the Zhou Dynasty
, it was the values of the Tang Dynasty that were adopted. The ri of earlier era in Japan was thus true to Chinese length, corresponding 6 chō (ca. 500–600 m), but somehow elongated later to denote the distance a person can walk in a fixed time. Thus there had been various ri, of 36, 40, and 48 chō. Tokugawa shogunate
of Edo period
defined 36 chō be 1 ri officially, allowing other variants, and the last definition of Japanese government in 1891 adopted this. Exact figure of Japanese ri was at that time fixed on the metric system
, 43200/11 ≈ 3927.27 metres or about 2.44 mile
s. Thus one must be careful how many chō one ri corresponds to. See Kujūkuri Beach
(99-ri beach) for a case.
In South Korea
, however, the ri currently in use is a unit taken from the Han li. It has a value of approximately 392.72 metres, being exactly one tenth of Japanese ri. In Aegukga
, the national anthem of South Korea
, three thousand ri is mentioned per Korean peninsula
, where 3,000 ri is roughly 1,200 km
, which is approximately the longitudal span of Korean peninsula
.
Chinese units of measurement
Chinese units of measurement are the customary and traditional units of measure used in China. In the People's Republic of China, the units were re-standardised during the late 20th century to make them approximate SI units. Many of the units were formerly based on the number 16 instead of 10...
of distance
Distance
Distance is a numerical description of how far apart objects are. In physics or everyday discussion, distance may refer to a physical length, or an estimation based on other criteria . In mathematics, a distance function or metric is a generalization of the concept of physical distance...
, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer (approx. 1640 feet). A modern li consists of 1,500 Chinese "feet" or chi
Chi (unit)
The chi is a traditional Chinese unit of length, approximately equal to one foot. Its length is derived from the length of human forearm and has first appeared during the Shang Dynasty approximately 3000 years ago. Since then it has spread to and adopted by other East Asian cultures, such as...
and, in the past, was often translated as a "mile." Since the li has generally been only about a third as long as the mile
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
, translating the character as "Chinese mile" or simply "li" is much less likely to produce confusion or error.
In practice however, as late as the 1940s, a li did not represent a fixed measure. It could be longer or shorter depending on the effort required to cover the distance.
The character 里 combines the characters for "field" (田, tián) and "earth" (土, tǔ), since it was considered to be about the length of a single village. In Chinese, li is sometimes prefaced by the character shi
Chinese units of measurement
Chinese units of measurement are the customary and traditional units of measure used in China. In the People's Republic of China, the units were re-standardised during the late 20th century to make them approximate SI units. Many of the units were formerly based on the number 16 instead of 10...
(市, shì) to distinguish it from the kilometer proper or gongli (公里, gōnglǐ).
There is also another li (Traditional: 釐, Simplified: 厘, lí) that indicates a unit of length 1/1000 of a chi, but it is used much less commonly. This li is used in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
as the equivalent of the centi- prefix in metric units, thus limi (厘米, límǐ) for centimeter. The tonal difference makes it distinguishable to speakers of Chinese, but unless specifically noted otherwise, any reference to li will always refer to the longer traditional unit and not to either the shorter unit or the kilometer. This traditional unit, in terms of historical usage and distance proportion, can be considered the East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n counterpart to the Western league unit
League (unit)
A league is a unit of length . It was long common in Europe and Latin America, but it is no longer an official unit in any nation. The league originally referred to the distance a person or a horse could walk in an hour...
.
Changing values
Like most traditional Chinese measurements, the li is reputed to have been established by the Yellow EmperorYellow Emperor
The Yellow Emperor or Huangdi1 is a legendary Chinese sovereign and culture hero, included among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Tradition holds that he reigned from 2697–2597 or 2696–2598 BC...
at the founding of the Chinese civilization around 2600 BCE and standardized by Yu the Great
Yu the Great
Yu the Great , was a legendary ruler of Ancient China famed for his introduction of flood control, inaugurating dynastic rule in China by founding the Xia Dynasty, and for his upright moral character....
of the Xia Dynasty
Xia Dynasty
The Xia Dynasty is the first dynasty in China to be described in ancient historical chronicles such as Bamboo Annals, Classic of History and Records of the Grand Historian. The Xia Dynasty was established by the legendary Yu the Great after Shun, the last of the Five Emperors gave his throne to him...
six hundred years later. Although the value varied from state to state during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, historians give a general value to the li of 405 meters prior to the Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
imposition of its standard in the 3rd century BCE.
The basic Chinese traditional unit of distance was the chi. As its value changed over time, so did the li’s. In addition, the number of chi per li was sometimes altered. To add further complexity, under the Qin Dynasty, the li was set at 360 "paces" (步, bù), but the number of chi per bu was subsequently changed from 6 to 5, shortening the li by 1/6. Thus the Qin li of about 576 meters became with other changes the Han
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
li, which was standardized at 415.8 meters.
The basic units of measurement fortunately remained stable over the Qin and Han periods. A bronze imperial standard measure, dated 9 CE, had been preserved at the Imperial Palace in Beijing, and came to light in 1924. This has allowed very accurate conversions to modern measurements, which has provided a new and extremely useful additional tool in the identification of place names and routes. These measurements have been confirmed in many ways including the discovery of number of rulers found at archaeological sites, and careful measurements of distances between known points.
The Han li was calculated by Dubs to be 415.8 metres and all indications are that this is a precise and reliable determination.
| Dynasty | Period | SI International System of Units The International System of Units is the modern form of the metric system and is generally a system of units of measurement devised around seven base units and the convenience of the number ten. The older metric system included several groups of units... length |
|---|---|---|
| Xia | 2100 - 1600 BCE | 405 m |
| Western Zhou | 1045 - 771 BCE | 358 m |
| Eastern Zhou | 770 - 250 BCE | 416 m |
| Qin | 221 -206 BCE | 415.8 m |
| Han | 205 BCE - 220 CE | 415.8 m |
| Tang | 618 - 907 CE | 323 m |
| Qing | 1644 - 1911 CE | 537 m - 645 m |
| PRC | 1949 - 1984 CE | ? |
| PRC | 1984 - present | 500 m |
Under the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
(618–907 CE), the li was approximately 323 meters.
In the late Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
or Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, the number of chi was increased from 1,500 per li to 1,800. This had a value of 2115 feet or 644.6 meters. In addition, the Qing added a longer unit called the tu, which was equal to 150 li (96.7 km).
These changes were undone by the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
of Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
, who adopted the metric system in 1928; but the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
under Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
reinstituted the traditional units as a measure of anti-imperialism and cultural pride.
In 1984, the PRC officially adopted the metric system, but found a place within it for the traditional units, which were restandardized to metric values. In the People's Republic, a li is now exactly half a kilometer, or 500 meters. The Republic of China (also known as Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
) does not use the li at all, but only the gongli or kilometer.
However, although "li" still refers to the traditional unit and one must say "gongli" to mean kilometer, with the conversion to metric, the kilometer has become the basic unit of long distances even within the PRC. This is in counter-distinction to weight
Weight
In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force on the object due to gravity. Its magnitude , often denoted by an italic letter W, is the product of the mass m of the object and the magnitude of the local gravitational acceleration g; thus:...
, where the traditional jin (0.5 kg) is still frequently preferred in daily use over the metric kilogram or gongjin.
Cultural use
As one might expect for the equivalent of "mile," li appears in many Chinese sayings, locations, and proverbs as an indicator of great distances or the exotic:- The Chinese name for the Great Wall is "the Ten Thousand Li Wall" (萬里長城, Wàn Lǐ Chángchéng). As in Greek, the number "ten thousand" is used figuratively in Chinese to mean any "immeasurable" value, and this title did not provide a literal distance. Ironically, the actual length of the final Great Wall is roughly 13,000 modern li – or 3,000 li longer than its name's proverbially "immeasurable" length.
- The Chinese proverb commonly rendered "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" (as used in Tao Te ChingTao Te ChingThe Tao Te Ching, Dao De Jing, or Daodejing , also simply referred to as the Laozi, whose authorship has been attributed to Laozi, is a Chinese classic text...
chapter 64, by LaoziLaoziLaozi was a mystic philosopher of ancient China, best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching . His association with the Tao Te Ching has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of Taoism...
) originally discussed travelling one thousand li (千里之行，始于足下, "Qiān lǐ zhī háng, shǐ yú zú xià").
- The greatest horses of Chinese history are all referred to as "thousand li horseHorseThe horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s" (千里馬, qiān lǐ mǎ), since they could supposedly travel a thousand li in a single day. Examples include Red HareRed HareRed Hare was Lü Bu's horse during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Historical records only mention the horse when Lü Bu temporarily became a subordinate of Yuan Shao, where he charged and defeated the armies of Zhang Yan while riding the Red Hare...
and Hua Liu.
Other cultures
The long Chinese li was the source of the ri in Korea (리, 里, ri) and JapanJapanese units of measurement
' is the traditional Japanese system of measurement. The name shakkanhō originates from the name of two of the units, the shaku, a unit of length, and the kan, a mass measurement.The system is Chinese in origin...
(where it is still written 里).
Although the Chinese units had been unofficially used since the Zhou Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
, it was the values of the Tang Dynasty that were adopted. The ri of earlier era in Japan was thus true to Chinese length, corresponding 6 chō (ca. 500–600 m), but somehow elongated later to denote the distance a person can walk in a fixed time. Thus there had been various ri, of 36, 40, and 48 chō. Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
of Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
defined 36 chō be 1 ri officially, allowing other variants, and the last definition of Japanese government in 1891 adopted this. Exact figure of Japanese ri was at that time fixed on the metric system
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
, 43200/11 ≈ 3927.27 metres or about 2.44 mile
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
s. Thus one must be careful how many chō one ri corresponds to. See Kujūkuri Beach
Kujukuri Beach
is a sandy beach located on the east coast of the Bōsō Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Lying within 60 km of Tokyo and being the second longest beach in Japan, it is a popular swimming and surfing destination for inhabitants of Greater Tokyo....
(99-ri beach) for a case.
In South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, however, the ri currently in use is a unit taken from the Han li. It has a value of approximately 392.72 metres, being exactly one tenth of Japanese ri. In Aegukga
Aegukga
Aegukga is the national anthem of South Korea. The title literally means "The Song of Love for the Country," or "The Patriotic Song."It is believed that the lyrics were written for the cornerstone-laying ceremony of the Independence Gate in Seoul in 1896 by Yun Chiho, a politician, or by An...
, the national anthem of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, three thousand ri is mentioned per Korean peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
, where 3,000 ri is roughly 1,200 km
Kilometre
The kilometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second...
, which is approximately the longitudal span of Korean peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
.
See also
- League (unit)League (unit)A league is a unit of length . It was long common in Europe and Latin America, but it is no longer an official unit in any nation. The league originally referred to the distance a person or a horse could walk in an hour...
for a general discussion of league-style units - Chinese traditional unitsChinese units of measurementChinese units of measurement are the customary and traditional units of measure used in China. In the People's Republic of China, the units were re-standardised during the late 20th century to make them approximate SI units. Many of the units were formerly based on the number 16 instead of 10...
- Japanese traditional unitsJapanese units of measurement' is the traditional Japanese system of measurement. The name shakkanhō originates from the name of two of the units, the shaku, a unit of length, and the kan, a mass measurement.The system is Chinese in origin...
- Korean traditional units
Further reading
- See the Historiography of Chinese metrology