Purchasing Capability - The Ming Dynasty
Year Place The Average Price of 100 Chinese Liters of Rice in Silver Taels Zhen Tung 1st Year (1436 AD) Southern Yangtze River Regions 0.25 " `12th Year (1447) Changsu (Jiangsu) 0.25 " 13th Year (1448) Jiangsi 0.25 Jing Tai 2nd Year (1451) Suchow, Songjiang (Jiangsu) 0.25 Before Hong Tze 13th Year ( - 1500) Nanjing 0.8 - 0.9 Hong Tze 13th Year (1500) " 0.2 - 0.3 Jia Jing 2nd Year (1523) " 1.3 - 1.4 The Early of Jia Jing Reign (1522-1566) Southern Yangtze River Regions 0.5 - 0.9 Jia Jing 23rd-24th Year (1544-1545) Songjiang 1.5 " 32nd Year (1553) Yangchow (Chekiang) 0.5 " 33rd Year, 6th Month (1554) Kunshan and the vicinity (Jiangsu) 0.4 " 33rd Year, 10th Month (1554) Yangchow 1.0 " 45th Year (1566) Nanjing 0.4 - 0.6 After Wan Li 8th Year (1580) Southern Yangtze River Regions 0.3 Wan Li 16th Year, Summer (1588) Nanjing 1.5 - 2.0 " (1588) Songjiang 1.6 " , Winter (1588) " 1.2 " 17th Year, the 1st Month (1589) " 1.6
Year Place The Average Price of a Bolt of Silk Fabric in Silver taels Before Hong Wu 28th Years (1395 AD) Nationwide 0.3 Yong Lo 5th Year (1407) Nationwide 0.625 Hsuan Der 1st Year (1426) Nationwide 0.25 Zhen Tung 2nd Year (1437) Hueichow (Anhuei) 0.5 " 7th Year (1442) Southern Chili 0.5 " 8th Year (1443) Nationwide 0.5 Chen Hua 4th Year (1468) Nanjing 0.7 " 10th Year (1474) Yenchow (Chekiang) 0.6 After Chen Hua 16th Year (1480- ) Jiangsi, Chekiang 0.8 Jia Jing 8th Year (1529) Nanjing 0.7 Jia Jing 28th Year (1549) Nationwide 0.7 The Latter Years of Chong Zhen Reign (1628-1644) Huchow (Chekiang) 1.0 Source: Prof. Chuan Han Shen: "The Study of the Chinese Historical Economy" Vol. II. pp 578-581
Return to History