Changes

*(5) & (6) The fifth and sixth categories included tribal peoples and other groups to the west.<ref name=schott14>Schottenhammer. p14.</ref>

*(5) & (6) The fifth and sixth categories included tribal peoples and other groups to the west.<ref name=schott14>Schottenhammer. p14.</ref>

Tribute missions were permitted on a regular, but limited schedule, thus limiting all official (legal) trade as well. For the most part, Korea and Ryûkyû were permitted to send missions once every two years; at times, for various political reasons, this was changed to once every three years. Similarly, Muromachi Japan was permitted, at times, to send missions only once every ten years. The system was managed by a Maritime Trade Office, or ''[[shibosi]]'' (市舶司); originally there was only one such office, but before long ''shibosi'' offices were established in the major ports of [[Fuzhou]], [[Quanzhou]], [[Ningpo]] and [[Guangzhou]].<ref name=schott14/>

Tribute missions were permitted on a regular, but limited schedule, thus limiting all official (legal) trade as well. For the most part, Korea and Ryûkyû were permitted to send missions once every two years; at times, for various political reasons, this was changed to once every three years. Similarly, Muromachi Japan was permitted, at times, to send missions only once every ten years. The system was managed by a Maritime Trade Office, or ''[[shibosi]]'' (市舶司); originally there was only one such office, but before long ''shibosi'' offices were established in the major ports of [[Fuzhou]], [[Quanzhou]], [[Ningpo]] and [[Guangzhou]].<ref name=schott14/> In total, tribute missions from Ryûkyû appear in the ''[[Ming shi]]'' (Official History of Ming) 171 times, nearly doubly as often as the 89 missions from Korea, and far outnumbering tribute missions from any other polity.<ref>Gallery labels, "Kuninda - Ryûkyû to Chûgoku no kakehashi," special exhibit, Okinawa Prefectural Museum, Sept 2014.</ref>

Foreign ships were required to send a certain portion of their cargoes as tribute, and a portion of their personnel as envoys, to the Imperial capital, though the remainder of the cargo could be sold privately, that is, independently, for profit, by the foreigners, or by the Chinese port officials on the foreigners' behalf. The Ming court paid for travel expenses, often providing horses and ships, but limited missions to 150 people.

Foreign ships were required to send a certain portion of their cargoes as tribute, and a portion of their personnel as envoys, to the Imperial capital, though the remainder of the cargo could be sold privately, that is, independently, for profit, by the foreigners, or by the Chinese port officials on the foreigners' behalf. The Ming court paid for travel expenses, often providing horses and ships, but limited missions to 150 people.