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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, "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>.

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, "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 ''hyôka-gata'' in Japanese (C: ''pingjia shi'') set the prices of commodities imported in this way, and oversaw the purchases of the Chinese goods.<ref>Schottenhammer. p45.</ref>

Arriving in Shuri, the envoys generally stayed for four to eight months<ref name=shimpo/>, 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/>. The envoys were treated to seven formal banquets during their stay; 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. p46.</ref> The envoys were treated to seven formal banquets during their stay; 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/>.

A "Minister of Dance" ([[Okinawan language|O]]: ''udui bugyô'') oversaw these entertainments; ''[[kumi odori]]'', a traditional form of Ryukyuan dance-drama, was first created and performed for entertaining an investiture envoy and his fellows, in 1719<ref name=kumi>Foley, Kathy. "Kumi Odori's Historical Context and Performance Practice." in ''Ryukyu Geino: The Legacy of Kin Ryosho''. Jimpu Kai USA Kin Ryosho Ryukyu Geino Kenkyusho Hawaii Shibu, 2008. pp45-56.</ref>.

A "Minister of Dance" ([[Okinawan language|O]]: ''udui bugyô'') oversaw these entertainments; ''[[kumi odori]]'', a traditional form of Ryukyuan dance-drama, was first created and performed for entertaining an investiture envoy and his fellows, in 1719<ref name=kumi>Foley, Kathy. "Kumi Odori's Historical Context and Performance Practice." in ''Ryukyu Geino: The Legacy of Kin Ryosho''. Jimpu Kai USA Kin Ryosho Ryukyu Geino Kenkyusho Hawaii Shibu, 2008. pp45-56.</ref>.

===The Investiture Ceremony===

===The Investiture Ceremony===

The investiture ceremony itself was performed in the central courtyard (O: ''una-'') of Shuri Castle, where a structure was erected to represent the Chinese Imperial Court. At dawn on the day of the ceremony, the Imperial patent<ref>For a brief overview of Chinese Imperial patents, see [http://www.npm.gov.tw/exh96/treasure/02_en.html this page] at the official website of the National Palace Museum, Beijing.</ref>, Imperial edict of investiture, and Imperial gifts to the king and queen were placed in small portable pavilions. A group of Ryukyuan officials involved with the ceremony met the Chinese envoys and kowtowed to the patent, edict, and Imperial gifts, and then led the envoys and these Imperial objects in procession to the ''una-'', a distance of about three miles (ten ''[[ri]]'') from the Envoys' Residence, passing huge crowds of people who had turned out on the sides of the road to see the procession<ref name=chen/>.

The investiture ceremony itself was performed in the central courtyard (O: ''unaa'') of Shuri Castle, where a structure was erected to represent the Chinese Imperial Court. At dawn on the day of the ceremony, the Imperial patent<ref>For a brief overview of Chinese Imperial patents, see [http://www.npm.gov.tw/exh96/treasure/02_en.html this page] at the official website of the National Palace Museum, Beijing.</ref>, Imperial edict of investiture, and Imperial gifts to the king and queen were placed in small portable pavilions. A group of Ryukyuan officials involved with the ceremony met the Chinese envoys and kowtowed to the patent, edict, and Imperial gifts, and then led the envoys and these Imperial objects in procession to the ''una-'', a distance of about three miles (ten ''[[ri]]'') from the Envoys' Residence, passing huge crowds of people who had turned out on the sides of the road to see the procession<ref name=chen/>.

The procession met the king and his top advisors at the [[Shureimon]], the symbolic entrance to the castle grounds. The king, and all the officials of the royal government, arranged by rank, kowtowed to the objects held in the portable pavilions, an act symbolic of receiving the Chinese Emperor himself. The king then led the procession into the castle and to the ''una-'', where the objects were placed upon a table and flanked by the envoys, atop the raised platform, the king remaining below, at ground level<ref name=chen/>.

The procession met the king and his top advisors at the [[Shureimon]], the symbolic entrance to the castle grounds. The king, and all the officials of the royal government, arranged by rank, kowtowed to the objects held in the portable pavilions, an act symbolic of receiving the Chinese Emperor himself. The king then led the procession into the castle and to the ''una-'', where the objects were placed upon a table and flanked by the envoys, atop the raised platform, the king remaining below, at ground level<ref name=chen/>.

* 1719/9/9 - ''Kumi odori'', a new form of dance-drama, created by [[Tamagusuku Chokun|Tamagusuku Chôkun]] for the entertainment of the Chinese envoys, is first performed for the envoys for the investiture of King [[Sho Kei|Shô Kei]]<ref name=kumi/>.

* 1719/9/9 - ''Kumi odori'', a new form of dance-drama, created by [[Tamagusuku Chokun|Tamagusuku Chôkun]] for the entertainment of the Chinese envoys, is first performed for the envoys for the investiture of King [[Sho Kei|Shô Kei]]<ref name=kumi/>.

**1719 - A dispute breaks out between the Chinese party, led by [[Hai Pao]] and [[Xu Baoguang]], and the Ryukyuan officials, led by [[Sai On]] and [[Tei Junsoku]]. The kingdom had gathered only 500 ''kan'' of silver to purchase goods brought from China for trade, but the mission unexpectedly brought 2,000 ''kan'' worth of goods. In the end, Sai On negotiated a settlement, paying 600 ''kan'' for all of the goods<ref name=chen/>.

**1719 - A dispute breaks out between the Chinese party, led by [[Hai Pao]] and [[Xu Baoguang]], and the Ryukyuan officials, led by [[Sai On]] and [[Tei Junsoku]]. The kingdom had gathered only 500 ''kan'' of silver to purchase goods brought from China for trade, but the mission unexpectedly brought 2,000 ''kan'' worth of goods, including jades, spices, porcelains, clocks, antiques, and scrolls of calligraphy and painting by famous artists of the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties. In the end, Sai On negotiated a settlement, paying 600 ''kan'' for all of the goods<ref name=chen/>. The 1719 mission also included 600 additional people, including cartographers who set out to map the archipelago.<ref name=schott46/>

* 1756-1757 - [[Quan Kui]] and [[Zhou Huang]] (d. 1785) lead the mission for the investiture of King [[Sho Boku|Shô Boku]], as Senior Envoy and Deputy Envoy respectively. During his time in Shuri, Chou Huang compiles the ''[[Ryukyu-koku shiryaku|Ryûkyû-koku shiryaku]]'', an account of Ryukyuan history and customs based on the records and reports of earlier Chinese envoys, Ryukyuan records, and Chou's own observations<ref>Hirata, Tsugumasa (trans.). Chou, Huang. ''Ryûkyû-koku shiryaku''. Tokyo: San-ichi Shobô, 1977. pp1-2.</ref>.

* 1756-1757 - [[Quan Kui]] and [[Zhou Huang]] (d. 1785) lead the mission for the investiture of King [[Sho Boku|Shô Boku]], as Senior Envoy and Deputy Envoy respectively. During his time in Shuri, Chou Huang compiles the ''[[Ryukyu-koku shiryaku|Ryûkyû-koku shiryaku]]'', an account of Ryukyuan history and customs based on the records and reports of earlier Chinese envoys, Ryukyuan records, and Chou's own observations<ref>Hirata, Tsugumasa (trans.). Chou, Huang. ''Ryûkyû-koku shiryaku''. Tokyo: San-ichi Shobô, 1977. pp1-2.</ref>.

==References==

==References==

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[[Category:Ryukyu]]

[[Category:Ryukyu]]

[[Category:Political Institutions]]

[[Category:Political Institutions]]