tribute ship; Ryukyuan diplomatic vessel to China
Historical term for ships used by the Ryūkyū Kingdom to transport envoys bearing tribute to China during the Ming and Qing periods.
The tribute ships carried envoys from the Ryūkyū Kingdom to China.
Compound of 進貢 (shinkō, 'tribute offering') + 船 (sen, 'ship'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is conventionally associated with Ryūkyū's tributary missions to China.