As transcribed by Peter Lindert, May 2006, using

Liu, Guanglin William, "Wrestling for Power: The State and the Economy
in Later Imperial China, 1000-1770." Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, 2005.
For Kishimoto series:
Source: Table 3.1, p.115 in Mio Kishimoto, Price and Economic Changes in Qing China (in Japanese). Tokyo: Kenbun Publishing, 1997.
For Peng series:
Source: Peng Xinwei, p. 459 in Monetary History of China Quanlian Publishing, Shanghai: 1957.
According to Liu, Guanglin William, "Wrestling for Power: The State and the Economy
in Later Imperial China, 1000-1770." Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, 2005,
1 Ming tael = 36.9 grams of silver, and 1 Qing tael = 37.3 grams of silver.
One shi equaled 107.3 liters in the Ming dynasty, and 103.5 liters in the Qing, according to Kang Chao,
Man and Land in Chinese History (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1986), Appendix A.
Lin gives 100 liters for both Ming and Qing. The conversions on these worksheets use the Kang Chao liter/shi ratios.

shing, 1997.

Rice Prices in the Lower Yangzi region, 1584-1766

In Local currency and physical units
Price (Silver Tael per Shi)
Years
Suzhou area
1584
0.35
1585
0.32
0.25
0.33
1586
0.25
1587
1588
1.80
1589
1.60
1.80
1590
1591
1592
1593
1594
1595
1596
1597
1598
1599
1600
1601
1602
1603
1604
1605
1606
1607
1608
1.20
1609
1610
1611
1612
1613
1614
1615
1616
1617
1618
1619

In grams of silver and metric units

Price (grams of silver per liter)
0.120
0.110
0.086
0.619
0.550

0.413

0.086

0.619

0.113

1620
1621
1622
1623
1624
1625
1626
1627
1628
1629
1630
1631
1632
1633
1634
1635
1636
1637
1638
1639
1640
1641
1642
1643
1644
1645
1646
1647
1648
1649
1650
1651
1652
1653
1654
1655
1656
1657
1658
1659
1660

1.40

1.80

0.481

0.619

1.40
1.20

1.50

0.481
0.413

0.516

1.50

0.516

1.10
2.00

0.378
0.688

1.80
3.00
3.30

0.619
1.032
1.135

2.70
3.00

3.60

4.00

0.929
1.032

1.238

1.376

1661
1662
1663
1664
1665
1666
1667
1668
1669
1670
1671
1672
1673
1674
1675
1676
1677
1678
1679
1680
1681
1682
1683
1684
1685
1686
1687
1688
1689
1690
1691
1692
1693
1694
1695
1696
1697
1698
1699
1700
1701

1702
1703
1704
1705
1706
1707
1708
1709
1710
1711
1712
1713
1714
1715
1716
1717
1718
1719
1720
1721
1722
1723
1724
1725
1726
1727
1728
1729
1730
1731
1732
1733
1734
1735
1736
1737
1738
1739
1740
1741
1742

2.40

0.825
2.40

0.825

0.90

0.310

1.00

0.344

1743
1744
1745
1746
1747
1748
1749
1750
1751
1752
1753
1754
1755
1756
1757
1758
1759
1760
1761
1762
1763
1764
1765
1766
1767
1768
1769
1770
1771
1772

3.00

1.032

3.10

1.066

3.10
3.60

1.066

3.80

1.307

Source: Table 3.1, p.115 in Mio Kishimoto, "Price and Economic Changes in Qing China" (in Japanese). Tokyo: Ken
For conversions to metric, see the Notes worksheet.

" (in Japanese). Tokyo: Kenbun Publishing, 1997.

(A.) Average Rice Prices in Ming Dynasty

Years
In Local currency and physical units In grams of silver and metric units
(by Emperors' Rice price averages
Rice price averages
Periods)
(Silver Tael per shi)
Grams of silver per liter
1368-1398
0.46
0.159
1403-1424
0.29
0.098
1426-1435
0.29
0.100
1436-1449
0.25
0.087
1450-1457
0.41
0.142
1457-1464
0.26
0.088
1465-1487
0.44
0.152
1488-1505
0.52
0.178
1506-1521
0.48
0.163
1522-1566
0.58
0.201
1567-1572
0.59
0.203
1573-1620
0.64
0.219
1621-1627
0.93
0.319
1628-1644
1.16
0.399
Source: Peng Xinwei, p. 459 in Monetary History of China Quanlian Publishing, Shanghai: 1957.
For conversions to metric, see the Notes worksheet.
(B) Decadal average rice prices, Peng series as reported by Guanglin Liu (2005, pp. 160-162).
For the Song era Liu uses 1 tael = 37.68 grams of silver.

Decade
961-70
971-80
981-90
991-1000
1001-10
1011-20
1021-30
1031-40
1041-50
1051-60
1061-70
1071-80

Grams of Grams of
silver per silver per
hectoliter
liter
12.39
0.124
31.12
0.311
11.76
0.118
14.73
0.147
22.76
0.228
11.79
0.118
12.21
0.122
19.67
0.197
47.33
0.473
16.81
0.168
25.70
0.257
55.10
0.551

1081-90
1091-110
1101-10
1111-20
1121-30
1131-40
1141-50
1151-60
1161-70
1171-80
1181-90
1191-120
1201-10
1211-20
1221-30
1231-40
1241-50
1251-60
1361-70
1371-80
1381-90
1391-140
1401-10
1411-20
1421-30
1431-40
1441-50
1451-60
1461-70
1471-80
1481-90
1491-150
1501-10
1511-20
1521-30
1531-40
1541-50
1551-60
1561-70
1571-80
1581-90

32.25
35.04
59.61
45.37
265.42
243.00
30.18
42.84
44.05
36.81
44.50
63.19
96.08
45.56
49.66
37.90
37.90
37.83
11.12
34.73
17.35
13.02
10.59
*
12.87
9.63
10.40
12.30
15.00
15.30
18.30
22.30
21.30
17.83
20.14
21.30
20.48
22.75
22.60
19.66
25.18

0.323
0.350
0.596
0.454
2.654
2.430
0.302
0.428
0.441
0.368
0.445
0.632
0.961
0.456
0.497
0.379
0.379
0.378
0.111
0.347
0.174
0.130
0.106
*
0.129
0.096
0.104
0.123
0.150
0.153
0.183
0.223
0.213
0.178
0.201
0.213
0.205
0.228
0.226
0.197
0.252

1591-160
1601-10
1611-20
1621-30
1631-40
1641-50
1651-60
1661-70
1671-80
1681-90
1691-1700
1701-10
1711-20
1721-30
1731-40
1741-50
1751-60
1761-70
1771-80
1781-90
1791-1800
1801-10
1811-20
1821-30
1831-40
1841-50
1851-60
1861-70
1871-80
1881-90
1891-1900
1901-10

25.22
26.60
22.57
36.37
33.57
47.11
44.81
31.94
24.31
32.22
27.50
36.01
34.53
32.84
37.37
42.69
61.06
64.22
56.75
60.01
73.28
81.13
80.19
72.44
90.19
84.13
63.72
97.84
64.88
58.04
89.72
145.28

0.252
0.266
0.226
0.364
0.336
0.471
0.448
0.319
0.243
0.322
0.275
0.360
0.345
0.328
0.374
0.427
0.611
0.642
0.568
0.600
0.733
0.811
0.802
0.724
0.902
0.841
0.637
0.978
0.649
0.580
0.897
1.453

anghai: 1957.

p. 160-162).