淸 乾隆 前ㆍ中期 朝貢國 使臣의 황제 朝見 방식과 그 특징

Abstract

This study analyzes changes in the Qing emperor’s reception of tributary envoys from the accession of the Qianlong Emperor in 1735 to the period before 1780. During this time, Annamese and Ryukyu envoys, like the Winter Solstice envoys (冬至使) from Joseon, typically arrived at the end of the year and had the opportunity to pay homage to the emperor through the New Year’s Day ceremony. In the early years of his reign, Qianlong granted imperial summons (zhaojian 召見) to envoys from Ryukyu, Siam, and Sulu, recognizing the arduous maritime journeys they undertook to present tribute. In contrast, he did not extend the same privilege to envoys from overland tributary states such as Korea, Vietnam, Laos, and Burma, demonstrating a differentiated approach to the reception of tributary envoys. After 1749, a new audience method called zhiying (祗迎) (ritual of receiving the emperor) was introduced, allowing envoys from Siam, Ryukyu, Laos, and Korea to pay homage to the emperor. Zhiying was originally a domestic ceremony in which Qing officials welcomed or bid farewell to the emperor’s carriage on the road when he departed or returned from an imperial tour or a ritual ceremony. However, as envoys from tributary states began to participate in this event, it replaced imperial summons and functioned as a method for receiving foreign envoys. With the Qianlong Emperor frequently embarking on imperial tours from the 1750s onward, zhiying became a convenient means to accommodate envoys who arrived outside the usual year-end schedule. However, zhiying did not convey the same level of imperial favor as imperial summons. While Qianlong discontinued imperial summons for tributary envoys after his early reign, he actively granted them to Mongol princes and nobles, as well as emissaries from the Zunghar, Kazakh, Kokand, and other regions in Central Asia. This selective practice reflects the Qing Empire’s strategic prioritization of stability in Central Asia and the northwest frontier over relations with tributary states during this period. However, during the 1770s, the frequency of imperial audiences for tributary envoys increased, signaling a gradual shift in Qianlong’s diplomatic focus toward strengthening ties with tributary states. By the 1780s, the reception of tributary envoys had significantly improved. Imperial banquets, which had previously been reserved for Mongol princes and nobles from the Outer Vassal States (waifan 外藩), were extended to tributary envoys. This allowed them to partake in imperial festivities, receive wine from the emperor, and be summoned before the throne to directly hear his words during the festivities. These developments indicate that, with the stabilization of the northwestern frontier, Qianlong increasingly sought to reinforce diplomatic relations with tributary states as part of his broader foreign policy strategy.