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chǐ [Chinese. 尺]

In China, a unit of length, after 1930 = ¹⁄₃ meter. Although often translated as “foot”, it is in concept the distance between the outstretched thumb and forefinger, that is, it belongs to the span class of body units. Traditionally it is the length of a type of flute producing a certain note, and is also 90 wheat grains long.

Since 1959, a unit of length (shi chi, 市尺) in the market system (shì zhì), = ¹⁄₃ meter. (UN 1966) Usually romanized as chi before the official adoption of pinyin romanization by the People’s Republic of China, but also as che, chih, ch’ih, tch'e and even techi. The older Wade romanization is ch'ih.

For current values in Taiwan, see ch'ih.

Gōngchĭ (公尺) is a meter; yīngchĭ (英尺) is an English foot.

In the customs treaties forced on the Chinese by the European powers in the middle of the 19ᵗʰ century, for the purposes of Canton customs the chih was defined as 14.1 inches (about 35.81 centimeters), but this value was not used elsewhere. Observers noted these values:

12.3 and 12.5 inches for public works
12.4 inches in statistics
12.6 inches for architects
12.7 inches, the common che
13.1 tribunal of mathematics

In Shanghai, the Board of Revenue used a 13.2 inch che.

A reform early in the 20ᵗʰ century made the che 0.32 meter (12.598 inches). Nevertheless, an official survey in 1936 found 53 values for the che, varying from 0.2 to 1.25 meters, both by locality and by trade.

Scholars have often estimated the length of the chi in earlier times purely from documentary evidence, but in recent years archeological evidence has become increaingly important. As a result, ideas are in flux.

Dynasty	Dates	Value of che in centimeters	Other estimate
Huang–ti	After 2697 bce	24.88
Yü	2254–2204 bce	24.88
Hsia	2204–1765 bce	24.88
Shang	1765–1121 bce	31.10	16
Chou	1121–220 bce	19.91
Ch'in	349–205 bce	27.65
Former Han	205 bce – 8 ce	27.65
Hsin Mang	9–24 ce	23.04
Later Han	25–220 ce	23.04
Wei	220–265 ce	24.12
Western Tsin	265–273 ce	24.12
	274–316	23.04
Eastern Tsin	317–430	24.45
Former Chao	318–319	24.19
Liu–Sung	420–478	24.51
South Ch'i	479–501	24.51
Liang & Chen	502–588	24.51
Liang	502–557	23.20 (new legal ruler)
Liang	502–557	23.55 (sundial measuring ruler)
Chen	557–588	23.55
Later Wei & West Wei	386–557	29.51
Later Wei & East Wei	495–550	29.97
North Ch'i	550–557	29.97
North Chou	557–566	29.51 (market ruler)
	566–581	26.68 (jade ruler)
	577–581	24.51 (iron ruler)
Sui	581–606	29.51
Sui	607–618	23.55
Tang	618–906	31.10	30.3
Five Dynasties	907–960	31.10
Song	960–1279	30.72	31.6
Yuan	1279–1368	30.72
Ming	1368–1644	31.10	32
Qing	1644–1911	32.00
Republic

sources

Rules Respecting Trade and Dues

Note.-—These rules, as well as the tariff, formed a part of the British, American and French supplementary treaties signed at Shanghai, in November, 1858. The copy here given is that from the British treaty, and is in no material respect different from the others.

…

RULE 4.--Weights and Measures.

In the calculations of the tariff, the weight of a picul of one hundred catties is held to be equal to one hundred and thirty-three and one third pounds avoirdupois; and the length of a chang of ten Chinese feet to be equal to one hundred and forty-one English inches.

One Chinese chih is held to equal fourteen and one tenth inches English; and four yards English, less three inches, to equal one chang.

S. Wells Williams.
The Chinese Commercial Guide …. 5th ed.
Hongkong: A Shortrede & Co, 1863.
Page 70.

resources

Qiu Guangming.
Zhongguo lidai duliangheng kao.
Kexue, 1992.