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==The Envoys in Shuri==

==The Envoys in Shuri==

The Chinese envoys arrived in ships called ''ukwanshin'' (御冠船, lit. "Crown Ships") in [[Okinawan language|Okinawan]]. The mission would usually consist of two official envoy ships, separate crafts carrying the chief envoy and his deputy, as some uncertainty accompanied the journey<ref name=kerr181>Kerr. p181.</ref>; these would be accompanied by a number of merchant ships. During Japan's [[Edo period]], an agent from Satsuma known as a ''kansen bugyô'' (冠船奉行, O: ''kwanshin bujô'', "Investiture (Crown) Ships Magistrate") would be sent down to Ryûkyû to supervise the exchanges and interactions between Chinese and Ryukyuan officials, albeit from somewhat of a distance, given the policy of hiding Satsuma's involvement in Ryûkyû from the Chinese<ref>Matsuda, Mitsugu. ''The Government of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, 1609-1872''. Gushikawa: Yui Publishing, Co., 2001. pp46-47.</ref>. A Ryukyuan office known as the ''[[hangaho|hangaahô]]'' in Japanese (C: ''píngjiàsī''), and based near the Tenshikan, set the prices of commodities imported in this way, and oversaw the purchases of the Chinese goods.<ref>Schottenhammer, "East Asian Maritime World," 45.; Schottenhammer, "Empire and Periphery?", 175n98.</ref>

The Chinese envoys arrived in ships called ''ukwanshin'' (御冠船, lit. "Crown Ships") in [[Okinawan language|Okinawan]]. These ships were often private merchant junks commandeered by the imperial court for this purpose, and transformed into official investiture ships simply by the addition of certain banners, medallions on the hull, etc.<ref>Richard Pegg, "For the Record: Chinese Conferment Missions to Ryukyu from 1372-1866," talk given at Okinawan Art in its Regional Context: Historical Overview and Contemporary Practice symposium, University of East Anglia, Norwich, 10 Oct 2019.</ref> The mission would usually consist of two official envoy ships, separate crafts carrying the chief envoy and his deputy, as some uncertainty accompanied the journey<ref name=kerr181>Kerr. p181.</ref>; these would be accompanied by a number of merchant ships. During Japan's [[Edo period]], an agent from Satsuma known as a ''kansen bugyô'' (冠船奉行, O: ''kwanshin bujô'', "Investiture (Crown) Ships Magistrate") would be sent down to Ryûkyû to supervise the exchanges and interactions between Chinese and Ryukyuan officials, albeit from somewhat of a distance, given the policy of hiding Satsuma's involvement in Ryûkyû from the Chinese<ref>Matsuda, Mitsugu. ''The Government of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, 1609-1872''. Gushikawa: Yui Publishing, Co., 2001. pp46-47.</ref>. A Ryukyuan office known as the ''[[hangaho|hangaahô]]'' in Japanese (C: ''píngjiàsī''), and based near the Tenshikan, set the prices of commodities imported in this way, and oversaw the purchases of the Chinese goods.<ref>Schottenhammer, "East Asian Maritime World," 45.; Schottenhammer, "Empire and Periphery?", 175n98.</ref>

Arriving in Shuri, the envoys generally stayed for four to eight months<ref name=shimpo/> at a residence known as the Tenshikan, and were extensively entertained by the Ryukyuan royal court. A number of structures built for this purpose (and reconstructed/restored in the late 20th century), including the [[Ryutan|Ryûtan]] pond and the Hokuden (North Hall) of Shuri Castle, can still be seen today on the castle grounds. The total Chinese entourage generally numbered between 300 and 800 people, and hosting and entertaining the Chinese envoys was an extremely expensive endeavor for the Ryukyuan court<ref name=kerr181/>, costing roughly 320,000 [[tael]]s of silver, much of which often had to be borrwed from Satsuma.<ref name=schott46>Schottenhammer, "East Asian Maritime World," 46.</ref> The envoys were treated to seven formal banquets during their stay, including for the occasions of [[Mid-Autumn Festival]] and [[Chrysanthemum Festival]], when there were extensive performances of music and dance within Shuri castle;<ref>Liao, 100.</ref> In addition, they were visited by senior officials and ministers once every five days, who brought the emissaries considerable amounts of food<ref name=chen/>.

Arriving in Shuri, the envoys generally stayed for four to eight months<ref name=shimpo/> at a residence known as the Tenshikan, and were extensively entertained by the Ryukyuan royal court. A number of structures built for this purpose (and reconstructed/restored in the late 20th century), including the [[Ryutan|Ryûtan]] pond and the Hokuden (North Hall) of Shuri Castle, can still be seen today on the castle grounds. The total Chinese entourage generally numbered between 300 and 800 people, and hosting and entertaining the Chinese envoys was an extremely expensive endeavor for the Ryukyuan court<ref name=kerr181/>, costing roughly 320,000 [[tael]]s of silver, much of which often had to be borrwed from Satsuma.<ref name=schott46>Schottenhammer, "East Asian Maritime World," 46.</ref> The envoys were treated to seven formal banquets during their stay, including for the occasions of [[Mid-Autumn Festival]] and [[Chrysanthemum Festival]], when there were extensive performances of music and dance within Shuri castle;<ref>Liao, 100.</ref> In addition, they were visited by senior officials and ministers once every five days, who brought the emissaries considerable amounts of food<ref name=chen/>.