Receipt from the Hall of Filial Devotion (1740) (Text)

Receipt from the Hall of Filial Devotion (1740)

This document from 1740 is the receipt for a gift of land to the main ancestral temple of the lineage, the Hall of Filial Devotion, so that the spirit tablets of their father and his wives and their mothers will be included in the biannual ancestral sacrifices. It restates the original contract.

The Receipt from the Hall of Filial Devotion (given to Kuan 190^th and his brothers)

 Receipt given by the lineage head Hui 188th, the sub-branch head Kuan 168^th and others. Today Hall of Filial Devotion received the following fields for additional sacrifices from Kuan 190^th and his brothers: one field in the size of  .917 mu (nine fen, one li, and seven hao) located at the first que, #963, with the field name of Jingtang kou; one field in the size 1.446 mu (one mu, four fen, four li, and six hao), located at the first que, #975 with the same field name. These total 2.363 mu (two mu, three fen, six li, and three hao) of fields, and have a rent in the amount of five dan (about 150 kgs of grain). They have also donated four dou of wheat.  As of this moment we will collect the rents and administer the fields. The descendants of Kuan 190^th and his brothers should not change their minds. Hereafter at the spring and autumn sacrifices in this hall, Mr. Hui 133^rd, together with Mrs. Hu, Mrs. Ye, Mrs. Tang, and Mrs. Xu, should be recorded in the sacrificial text and worshipped with the ancestors. There is to be not failure in this regard.  At every sacrifice, they should be given five portions of cooked sacrificial meat and ten pounds of raw meat. It is to be distributed beginning with the descendants of the legal wife according to seniority. The amount is not to be decreased no matter what the size of the harvest. This is a fixed rule, and should never be changed.  For fear of having no evidence in the future we give this receipt as a reference.

In the eleventh month of the lunar year, the fifth year (1740) of Qianlong reign, the receipt made by:

Kuan 137^th                   Ci 6^th

Hui 198^th                      Yu 46^th

Kuan 168^th                   Yu 75^th

Kuan 201^st                   Ci 74^th

(from Zhiyan cun Chen shi zongpu 1996 ed. P. 82)

1 háo 毫 = 0.001 mǔ.  Is 2/3 sq meter or about 7 square feet

1 lí 厘  = 10 háo 毫     (0.01 mu)

1 fēn 分 = 10 lí 厘       (0.1 mu)

1 mǔ 亩 = 10 fēn 分   

The mǔ is the standard unit for land area. It was originally a strip 240 bù (paces) long by one bù in width. 15mu = 1 hectare; 6 mu just over 1 acre. A hectare is defined as 100x100m whereas an acre is defined as 220 yards by 22 yards (or 1 furlong by 1 chain).

1 gě 合            = 10 sháo 勺    (0.1 sheng)

1 shēng 升       = 10 gě 合       Changed to be same as 1 liter or 0.22 gallons

1 dǒu 斗          = 10 shēng 升  (10 sheng)

1 dàn 石          = 10 dǒu 斗     (100 sheng)

1 hú 斛= 5 dǒu 斗