Abstract: For over 500 years, the ancient Ryukyu Kingdom (present Okinawa in Japan), a feudatory country having the closest contact with China during Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911 AD), maintained a tributary relationship with China. As the political and economic communication between Ryukyu and the coastal region of China developed further, the religious beliefs, the systems of seasons and festivals, [JP2]food and drinks, architecture, clothing, music, and other folk cultures in the coastal region were constantly disseminated to the Okinawa Islands, which generated profound effects on the local society and culture.

Key words: Okinawa, southeast China, folk culture, dissemination, effects