外東北
Chinese chroniclers of the Ming dynasty distinguished three different groups of Jurchens: the Wild Jurchens () of Outer Manchuria, the Haixi Jurchens () of modern Heilongjiang Province and the Jianzhou Jurchens of modern Jilin Province. They led a pastoral-agrarian lifestyle, hunting, fishing, and engaging in limited agriculture. In 1388, the Hongwu Emperor dispatched a mission to establish contact with the Odoli, Huligai and T'owen tribes.