China-Sri Lanka: trade and diplomatic relations including the voyages of Cheng-Ho

Sri Lanka was a popular stopover for merchants on their journeys between East and West. From the first centuries AD onwards, the island established constant and peaceful cultural, religious and economic relations with the Chinese Empire, and it was described in various accounts by Chinese travellers. In the fifteenth century, the political relations between Sri Lanka and China deteriorated temporarily due to a clash between the king of the island and the Chinese traveller Cheng Ho. The rise of the European influence in the region marked the decline of Sino-Sri Lankan relations.