Links with island stand the test of time

Many traces have been found in present-day Sri Lanka of the island's historical links with China, which lies more than 5,000 kilometers away.

Early last month, an archaeological team from the Shanghai Museum unearthed a large number of porcelain pieces made during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) at Allappidi, a historical site in Jaffna, a port city in northern Sri Lanka.

The pieces were believed to have been taken by sea from China to the island, formerly known as Ceylon, as it played an extremely important role on the ancient Maritime Silk Road for its exceptional geographical location.