1991 Zibo City Fine Grain Coupon

This is a Chinese fine grain coupon (liangpiao) issued in 1991 by the municipal authorities of Zibo City (淄博市) in Shandong Province. The coupon features a modern, explicit metric denomination of 500 / 伍佰克 (500 grams), with its sub-text translation reading 0.5公斤 (0.5 kilogram), completely moving away from traditional jin units. It was designated for xi liang (fine grains like wheat or rice), which were premium rations compared to coarse grains. Being issued in 1991, this belongs to the very final years of China's rationing system before economic reforms fully phased out coupons in 1993. The illustration showcases an industrial chemical plant or factory facility, highlighting Zibo’s historic status as a major industrial and petrochemical hub.