Ancient weights and measures system

The system of weights and measures in China has a long history. Its origin and standard records are different. According to historical records, the Yellow Emperor set five measures: degree, quantity, balance, centimetre and mu. Shun summoned the four kings to coordinate the seasons, rhythms and weights and measures of the tribes; Yu Xia used a ruler as a measuring tool, and his own length and weight as the standard of length and weight. These legends, to some extent, reflect the germination of ancient weights and measures. The real token can be proved by the inscriptions in the Western Zhou Dynasty, which read "Ten Stems of Gold", "Three Stems of Silk" and "Ten Stems of Gold". Gold is copper, and "Jun" and "Jun" are the unit names of measurement. It shows that before or at the same time as the appearance of metal currency, there have been means to measure weight.

The appearance of weights and measures is inseparable from the development of human exchange behavior, and with the progress of productivity, weights and measures are constantly changing. It is recorded in The Book of Rites and The Book of Rites that as early as the Zhou Dynasty, a strict management system of weights and measures was implemented and the position of supervisor was set up. In 22 1 BC, Qin Shihuang unified China, and issued a decree of unified measurement, which was supervised by the government and distributed to all parts of the country. The unified system of weights and measures in Qin Dynasty was used by feudal society for more than 2,000 years, forming a unique metrological scientific system in China.