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The document is divided into 17 spread across 16 volumes, and consists primarily of summaries of previous envoys' records, along with Zhou Huang's personal observations and commentary<ref name=shimpo>"''Ryûkyû-koku shiryaku''". ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). [http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-43384-storytopic-121.html Ryukyu Shimpo] (琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 14 October 2009.</ref>, and a number of rough images of [[meisho|famous places]] in Ryukyu, maps of the islands, and depictions of Ryukyuan costume, ships, and other objects<ref name=hirata/>.

The document is divided into 17 spread across 16 volumes, and consists primarily of summaries of previous envoys' records, along with Zhou Huang's personal observations and commentary<ref name=shimpo>"''Ryûkyû-koku shiryaku''". ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). [http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-43384-storytopic-121.html Ryukyu Shimpo] (琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 14 October 2009.</ref>, and a number of rough images of [[meisho|famous places]] in Ryukyu, maps of the islands, and depictions of Ryukyuan costume, ships, and other objects<ref name=hirata/>.

It includes a traditional account of Ryukyu's history, and describes in depth the kingdom's [[tribute|tributary]] relationship with China as well as the system of [[Chinese investiture envoys]]. Zhou also describes the kingdom's government and administration, military and legal affairs, taxation systems, and the customs and characteristics of the people, suggesting a climactic logic for the latter. Though he also describes many of the kingdom's temples and other famous or remarkable sites, including sketches of several famous sites, Zhou for the most part describes Ryukyu as a barbarian kingdom, inferior to the lofty cultural standards of the Middle Kingdom (China)<ref name=kerr211/>.

It includes a traditional account of Ryukyu's history, and describes in depth the kingdom's [[tribute|tributary]] relationship with China as well as the system of Chinese [[investiture]] envoys. Zhou also describes the kingdom's government and administration, military and legal affairs, taxation systems, and the customs and characteristics of the people, suggesting a climactic logic for the latter. Though he also describes many of the kingdom's temples and other famous or remarkable sites, including sketches of several famous sites, Zhou for the most part describes Ryukyu as a barbarian kingdom, inferior to the lofty cultural standards of the Middle Kingdom (China)<ref name=kerr211/>.

The text was reprinted in [[woodblock prints|woodblock print]] form by the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] in [[1831]]. A copy was obtained by [[Katsushika Hokusai]] the following year, who used the images in the book as the basis for his "Eight Views of Ryukyu" (''[[Ryukyu Hakkei|Ryûkyû Hakkei]]'') series of ''[[ukiyo-e]]'' landscape prints<ref name=kishi>Kishi, Akimasa. ''Hokusai no Ryûkyû hakkei ni tsuite'' (北斎の琉球八景について, "On Hokusai's Eight Views of Ryukyu"). ''Ukiyo-e geijutsu'', vol 13 (1966). Japan Ukiyo-e Society. pp36-39.</ref>.

The text was reprinted in [[woodblock prints|woodblock print]] form by the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] in [[1831]]. A copy was obtained by [[Katsushika Hokusai]] the following year, who used the images in the book as the basis for his "Eight Views of Ryukyu" (''[[Ryukyu Hakkei|Ryûkyû Hakkei]]'') series of ''[[ukiyo-e]]'' landscape prints<ref name=kishi>Kishi, Akimasa. ''Hokusai no Ryûkyû hakkei ni tsuite'' (北斎の琉球八景について, "On Hokusai's Eight Views of Ryukyu"). ''Ukiyo-e geijutsu'', vol 13 (1966). Japan Ukiyo-e Society. pp36-39.</ref>.