The Liji, an ancient text states that the first measurement units were created by Huangdi, better known as the Yellow Emperor in the 3rd millennium BCE. According to the an early Chinese dictionary, the units of length were created with the human body serving as the basis. Interestingly, the earliest Chinese measurement units were based on the number 16, which is what the ancient Indus Civilization measurements are also supposed to have been based on (indeed 16 annas to a rupee survived until recently in the Indian subcontinent).
This handmade card uses old cut-up stamps to construct the man's body. |
