Der Gebrauch von Geld ist in China seit der Jungsteinzeit nachgewiesen. Seither fand eine Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Währungen Verwendung. Die heutige Währung in China heißt seit 1949 Renminbi (chinesisch 人民幣 /人民币 pinyin rénmínbì – „Volksgeld“) die Einheit ist der Yuán (元). (de)
The history of Chinese currency spans more than 3000 years. Currency of some type has been used in China since the Neolithic age which can be traced back to between 3000 and 4500 years ago. Cowry shells are believed to have been the earliest form of currency used in Central China, and were used during the Neolithic period. Around 210 BC, the first emperor of China Qin Shi Huang (260–210 BC) abolished all other forms of local currency and introduced a uniform copper coin. Paper money was invented in China in the 9th century, but the base unit of currency remained the copper coin. Copper coins were used as the chief denomination of currency in China until the introduction of the yuan. Currently, the renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It is the legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. The special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau use the Hong Kong dollar and the Macanese pataca, respectively. In the Republic of China (ROC), the New Taiwan dollar is the official legal tender in Taiwan since 2000. (en)