Which regions sent tribute missions to the Ming court during the Hongwu emperor’s reign?

During the reign of the Hongwu emperor (1368–1398), the Ming dynasty actively expanded its tributary system to establish foreign relations and secure China's borders. Various regions and states sent tribute missions to the Ming court to acknowledge the emperor's suzerainty, including:

• Neighboring states: Korea, Annam, and the Ryukyu Islands (Liuqiu) regularly sent missions.1
• Central and Inner Asia: The Ming court received tribute from various states in the Chinese Turkistan region and established tributary relations with Tibet and several Mongol regimes.12
• Diplomatic exchanges: The Hongwu emperor also engaged in embassy exchanges with Timur, which the Chinese government categorized as tributary missions.1

While the Hongwu emperor attempted to include Japan in the system to curb piracy, these efforts were largely unsuccessful due to the inability of Japanese authorities to control the raiders. The emperor emphasized this system as the primary form of foreign trade, welcoming envoys at key ports such as Ningbo, Quanzhou, and Guangzhou.12