A Qing dynasty official participating in an investiture mission to Ryukyu was extremely surprised to find during his stay in Ryukyu that long-lost Ming court music still survived in the islands.
福建師範大學教授王耀華的研究就指出，清代到琉球的冊封使，對於在中國已不易聽到的「明樂」，竟然還存在孤島，因此特別感到驚訝。