li

plural lis · alternative ri

1. The Chinese mile, a traditional unit of distance equal to 1500 chis or 150 zhangs, now standardized as a half-kilometer (500 meters).

   It was a whole day's journey from I-ch'eng to Chü-wo which, in turn, is about 60 li east of Chiang Chou — one of the most important cities in southern Shansi and a center for curio-dealers.

   1927, Chi Li, “Archaeological Survey of the Fêng River Valley, Southern Shansi, China”, in Explorations and Field-work of the Smithsonian Institution in 1926 (Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections), volume 78, number 7, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, →OCLC, page 129

   2 more examples

   In 1979, while we were conducting our archaeological work in Yucheng and Quwo, Shanxi province, I noticed another historical record in the Kuodizhi (a comprehensive account of geography written in 641), which stated that "the ancient city of Tang was 20 li west of Yuchengxian in Jiangzhou."

   1999 [1994], Zou Heng (邹衡), “The Early Jin State Capital Discovered: a Personal Account”, in Roderick Whitfield, Wang Tao, transl., Exploring China's Past: New Discoveries and Studies in Archaeology and Art, Saffron Books, Eastern Art Publishing, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 106

   The two gods who accompany Matsu, one with eyes that can see 1000 li⁶ and the other with ears that can hear far over the horizon, represent empathy, observation, and feeling. Government should be like Matsu, equipped with acute powers of observation; see clearly to the bottom of issues, and know how to respond.

   2000, Chen Shui-Bian, “Learning and Transformation”, in David J. Toman, transl., The Son of Taiwan: The Life of Chen Shui-Bian and His Dreams for Taiwan, Taiwan Publishing Co., Ltd., →ISBN, →OCLC, page 40

   Synonyms: Chinese mile, tricent

2. The Korean mile, a traditional unit of distance equivalent to about 393 m.

   While scaling the Laoyeling Mountains, the Chinese Worker-Peasant Red Army, under the command of Mao Ze-dong and Zhu De, was successfully stepping up the historic 25 000-li Long March in China proper, breaking through the surrounding rings formed by Chiang Kai-shek’s army.

   1980, Kim Il Sung, “Meeting with My Comrades-in-Arms in North Manchuria”, in Kim Il Sung Works, volume 48, Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House, →OCLC, page 144

   Synonyms: Korean mile

1. A traditional Chinese unit of weight, equal to one-thousandth of a liang, or fifty milligrams.

1. Chinesehuman sciencesA meaningful ceremony or ritual; etiquette, behaviour.

1. An ancient Chinese cauldron having three hollow legs.

1. uncountableentertainmentIn solfège, the raised sixth note of a major scale (the note A-sharp in the fixed-do system).

   Synonyms: A-sharp, B-flat, ta, te

plural LIs

1. abbreviationAbbreviation of love interest.

alternative Lee

1. A surname from Chinese

   Under the post, Li shared screenshots of private messages he received from followers who said they were interrogated by police.

   2024 March 18, Nectar Gan and Yong Xiong, “A dissident in Europe is enraging Beijing. Now Chinese police are coming for his social media followers”, in CNN

alternative Lai · alternative Le

1. A surname from Chinese

1. A surname from Chinese

1. A county of Longnan, Gansu, China.

   The West Hanshui River flows through the flatland of Qishan Township east of Lixian County, Gansu Province.[…] Zhuge launched his first northern expedition. He arrived at Qishan Mountain in Lixian County, where he set up his headquarters on the shore of the West Hanshui River.

   [1995 October, “Qishan Fort: Zhuge's Commanding Camp”, in China Tourism, number 183, H.K. China Tourism Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 56, column 1

1. A river in Guangxi, China.

   Days 3-5: Guilin and Yangshuo. Marvel at the extraordinary scenery lining the banks of the serene Li River.

   2011, Andrew Forbes, China, APA Publications, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 16

   4 more examples

   After breakfast the next day, Ho Li-chih came to invite Yang Shu-tien and me to the Li River for a boat trip to another county, Yang-shuo.

   1977, Yee Chiang, “Kuei-lin and Yang-shuo”, in China Revisited, New York: W. W. Norton & Company, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 153

   Cormorant fishing on the Li River near Kweilin. With increasingly serious water pollution, fishing with cormorants is becoming a rare sight in China.

   1985, Steven W. Mosher, Journey To The Forbidden China, Collier Macmillan, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 54f

   Before going home, we flew to Guilin for a meeting with environmentalists concerned about the destruction of forests and the loss of unique wildlife, and a leisurely boat trip down the Li River, which flows through a stunning landscape marked by large limestone formations that looked as if they had burst up through the landscape of the gentle countryside.

   2005, Bill Clinton, My Life, volume II, New York: Vintage Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, pages 436–437

   In Guilin, the second-largest city in Guangxi, Xi took a boat to inspect the ecological condition of the Li River, a popular tourist destination. The river stretches more than 400km (250 miles) through karst hills and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

   2021 April 27, Echo Xie, “Xi Jinping laments stone quarrying as he mines green theme in Guangxi”, in South China Morning Post, archived from the original on 27 Apr 2021, China / Politics

1. A county of Changde, Hunan, China.

alternative Lee · alternative Rhee · alternative Ri · alternative I · alternative Yi · alternative Rey · alternative Rhie

1. A surname from Korean, a variant of Lee and Rhee