Page:A Pocket Guide to China (1943).pdf/51



THE Chinese Government has fixed national standards for weights and measurements in terms of the metric sys­tem; but those actually in use are diverse and confusing, particularly in country areas. A tailors’ ch’ih (foot measure) may be several inches longer or shorter than a carpenter’s ch’ih; and the length of a ch’ih in one section of the coun­try may be as short as 9 inches, while in another section it may be as long as 27 inches.

The Chinese li is approximately one-third of a mile. Sometimes it may be difficult to get an exact idea of dis­tance from local Chinese families. Therefore, when asking a distance, it is best to ask how long it takes to walk it.

Measures of capacity are seldom used except for rice, grain, and beans. There is no uniformity in actual meas­uring, owing to variations in the capacities used. 47