Gold Tael Converter — HK Tael & Chinese Tael to Grams & Ounces
A tael is the historical Chinese gold weight unit, still used in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and parts of mainland China for retail bullion pricing. There are two distinct tael standards: the Hong Kong tael = 37.429 g (used at the Chinese Gold & Silver Exchange Society in HK), and the Chinese mainland tael = 31.25 g (closer to a troy ounce). Using the wrong one creates a 20% valuation error.
This converter handles both — pick HK or Chinese tael, enter the weight, and get gram, troy ounce, tola and pennyweight equivalents plus the money value at the live international XAU/USD spot rate.
When to use this calculator
- Hong Kong retail bullion — Bank of China, HSBC and Chiyu Bank quote per-HK-tael for retail bars.
- Taiwanese gold trading — Bank of Taiwan gold passbooks denominated in Chinese tael.
- Singapore Chinatown gold shops — quote in HK tael for tradition; international price benchmark is per troy oz.
- Estate clearance — vintage Chinese family gold jewellery often inscribed with tael weight.
The Tael: East Asian Gold Measurement
The tael (Chinese: 兩, liǎng) is one of the oldest gold weight units in continuous use, appearing in records from the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC) and adopted as the Silk Road's standard precious-metal measure. It became the primary weight of Qing dynasty silver sycee ingots and spread across the overseas Chinese diaspora — Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand each developed their own standardised tael variant.
The Hong Kong tael (37.429 g) was fixed by the colony's 1885 Weights and Measures Ordinance at exactly 1.20 troy ounces, harmonising with British trading practices. The Chinese mainland tael was metricated by the PRC to 50 g in 1959, then adjusted to 31.25 g for gold-trade compatibility with the troy ounce. The result: an unqualified price quoted "per tael" in Hong Kong and on the mainland can differ by approximately 20% — an expensive confusion for cross-border traders and one that requires always specifying the tael variant.
For conversions involving the South Asian tola system — common among diaspora traders bridging Hong Kong, Singapore and South Asia — the grams to tola calculator provides the gram-to-tola bridge after first converting from tael to grams.
How the conversion works
HK tael × 37.429 = grams. Chinese tael × 31.25 = grams. Then: troy oz = grams ÷ 31.1035, tola = grams ÷ 11.664. Example: 5 HK tael = 5 × 37.429 = 187.145 g = 6.017 troy oz = 16.044 tola.
Step-by-step calculation
Example: 5 HK tael of 22K gold
- 1
Convert tael to grams
grams = tael × 37.429
5 × 37.429 = 187.145 g
- 2
Convert grams to troy oz
troy oz = grams ÷ 31.1035
187.145 ÷ 31.1035 = 6.016 troy oz
- 3
Convert grams to tola
tola = grams ÷ 11.664
187.145 ÷ 11.664 = 16.046 tola
- 4
Pure gold at 22K
pure (g) = grams × (22 ÷ 24)
187.145 × 0.9167 = 171.550 g pure
Sample conversions
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 HK tael (兩) | 37.429 g = 1.203 troy oz = 3.208 tola |
| 1 Chinese tael | 31.250 g = 1.004 troy oz = 2.679 tola |
| 10 HK tael | 374.290 g = 12.034 troy oz |
| 5 Chinese tael | 156.250 g = 5.023 troy oz |
| 1 candareen (1/100 HK tael) | 0.3743 g |
Quick Reference — Tael Conversions (HK vs Chinese)
| Weight | HK Tael (37.429 g each) |
|---|---|
| 1 tael | 37.429 g / 1.203 troy oz |
| 5 tael | 187.145 g / 6.016 troy oz |
| 10 tael | 374.290 g / 12.034 troy oz |
| 1 troy oz | 0.8316 HK tael |
| 1 kg | 26.717 HK tael |
| 1 tola | 0.3117 HK tael |
HK tael = 37.429 g (CGSE standard). Chinese tael = 31.25 g. Always specify which — 20% mass difference.
Frequently asked questions
Which tael does a gold-shop in Hong Kong use?
The HK tael (37.429 g), standardised by the Chinese Gold & Silver Exchange Society (CGSE) and used at all licensed bullion banks in Hong Kong. The "Chinese tael" (31.25 g) is used on the mainland and in Macau for some gold products. Always confirm which standard a price quote refers to.
Why are there two different tael weights?
The HK tael (37.429 g) was fixed at 1.20 troy oz by the British colonial Weights and Measures Ordinance of 1885. The mainland Chinese tael was metricated to 50 g in 1959 by the PRC, then revised to 31.25 g to align with international troy-ounce pricing. The two coexist, creating a 20% difference that must always be declared.
What is a "candareen" and how does it relate to the HK tael?
A candareen is 1/100 of a Hong Kong tael = 0.37429 g. It is the smallest traditional subdivision of the HK tael system, used historically in fine jewellery and assay contexts. Today it appears mostly in historical documentation; modern Hong Kong shops weigh to 0.01 g using digital scales.
How many HK tael in 1 troy ounce of gold?
1 troy oz = 31.1035 g ÷ 37.429 g/HK tael = 0.8312 HK tael. Inversely, 1 HK tael = 1.2034 troy oz. The CGSE quotes per-tael prices that track the international spot per-troy-oz rate × 1.2034 × the HKD/USD exchange rate.
Is the gold tael the same as the silver tael historically?
Historically they used the same tael weight standard within each jurisdiction, so yes — the same weight unit applied to both silver sycees and gold ingots in pre-modern China. The HK tael today is used for gold; silver tael pricing is largely historical (the silver standard was abolished in China in 1935).
What gold items are typically sold by the tael in Hong Kong?
Traditional Chinese gold jewellery (bracelets, chains, bangles), gold bars produced for the Chinese diaspora market, and HK-specific investment gold products (thin HK-gold cards and 5-tael bars). International investment bars (PAMP, Valcambi) are priced per gram or troy oz in HK but converted to per-tael for local customers.
Related calculators
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