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Korea was conquered by the [[Manchus]] in [[1637]], seven years before [[Beijing]], and the Ming Dynasty with it, fell to their armies. During this span of seven or eight years, Korea nominally sent four missions each year to China, on the occasions of the birthday of the Qing Emperor, New Year's, the winter solstice, and an additional mission designated as the "annual tribute" mission (''yŏn'gong'', 年貢). In practice, however, one of the former three always served doubly as the official tribute mission.

Korea was conquered by the [[Manchus]] in [[1637]], seven years before [[Beijing]], and the Ming Dynasty with it, fell to their armies. During this span of seven or eight years, Korea nominally sent four missions each year to China, on the occasions of the birthday of the Qing Emperor, New Year's, the winter solstice, and an additional mission designated as the "annual tribute" mission (''yŏn'gong'', 年貢). In practice, however, one of the former three always served doubly as the official tribute mission.

In [[1645]], following the establishment of Manchu (Qing) rule in Beijing, Korea sent only one mission, at the time of the winter solstice, and dubbed the official annual tribute mission (''sep'ye'' 歳幣). This single annual mission, combined with the occasional additional ones, remained the standard form through the end of pre-modern Sino-Korean relations in [[1894]]. These additional missions included:  

In [[1645]], following the establishment of Manchu (Qing) rule in Beijing, Korea sent only one mission, at the time of the winter solstice, and dubbed the official annual tribute mission (''sep'ye'' 歳幣). This single annual mission, combined with the occasional additional ones, remained the standard form through the end of pre-modern Sino-Korean relations in [[1894]]. On average, two additional missions were sent each year, for a total of three.

 

These additional missions included:  

*Missions related to investiture, in which the ambassadors received an imperial patent symbolically granting China's official recognition of the legitimacy of a new Korean king.

*Missions related to investiture, in which the ambassadors received an imperial patent symbolically granting China's official recognition of the legitimacy of a new Korean king.

*Notifications of royal deaths and receiving of Imperial official expressions of grief

*Notifications of royal deaths and receiving of Imperial official expressions of grief

Before crossing the Yalu River, which separated Chinese and Korean territory, the mission would send a formal communication back to Seoul, informing the king of the membership of the embassy, and certain other details, reporting these details as well to Manchu officials at the border. Upon arriving in Mukden, the mission engaged in ceremonial expressions of respect and offered a portion of the tribute goods, which would then be conveyed to Beijing by Manchu officials, while the Koreans continued on to Beijing to deliver the remainder of the tribute in person. Gifts were presented as well to a number of Manchu officials along the way.

Before crossing the Yalu River, which separated Chinese and Korean territory, the mission would send a formal communication back to Seoul, informing the king of the membership of the embassy, and certain other details, reporting these details as well to Manchu officials at the border. Upon arriving in Mukden, the mission engaged in ceremonial expressions of respect and offered a portion of the tribute goods, which would then be conveyed to Beijing by Manchu officials, while the Koreans continued on to Beijing to deliver the remainder of the tribute in person. Gifts were presented as well to a number of Manchu officials along the way.

Upon arriving in Beijing, the embassy would be received by officials from the Hall of Tributary Envoys (会同館); during their stay in China, the Chinese Court would provide food, lodging, and the like for the embassy, whose provisions thus only had to last for the journey itself.

Upon arriving in Beijing, the embassy would be received by officials from the Hall of Tributary Envoys (会同館); during their stay in China, the Chinese Court would provide food, lodging, and the like for the embassy, whose provisions thus only had to last for the journey itself. Shortly after their arrival, the envoys would present memorials to the throne and other formal documents to an official from the Chinese [[Board of Rites]]. New Year's embassies would be formally received alongside envoys from other tributary polities. Following certain ceremonial exchanges between the Board of Rites and the Court, the envoys would be invited to present their offers of tribute, and would then be banqueted by the Board of Rites, and would receive a formal Imperial audience and gifts from the Emperor; some of these gifts were for the envoys themselves and a limited number of their retainers, while the majority were to be brought back to Korea to be presented to the king.

 

 

 

The lead envoy, deputy envoy, and lead secretary presented formal reports to the king upon their arrival back in Seoul. The envoys often also returned with formal commands, edicts, or other communications of a particularly official sort issued from the Chinese Emperor to be conveyed to the Korean king; very often, imperial embassies would be dispatched from Beijing to convey such missives, but, not infrequently, such communications were sent instead with returning Korean embassies.

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