Colombo National Museum

The Colombo National Museum is a two-storey grand white building and the oldest museum in Sri Lanka. It was built in 1877 and a new building was built in 1980. Taking a walk here can give you a good understanding of Sri Lanka's culture and history, and it is a stop in Sri Lanka. The collections worth recommending in the museum are as follows: 1. There is a stone stele discovered in 1912 in the Zheng He Stele Museum, known as "Zheng He Stele", which was built by Zheng He, the eunuch of the Three Treasures of the Ming Dynasty, when he went to the West. The top is engraved with a relief sculpture of two dragons playing with a pearl and inscriptions in Chinese, Arabic and Tamil, mainly recording the purpose of Zheng He's visit to Sri Lanka. 2. There is also a Lion Throne shipped from Kandy in the Lion Throne Pavilion. The "Great History" records that Vijaya established the Sinhalese state and was the descendant of the lion (Siha), which is also the origin of the name Sihala for the Sinhalese. The Buddhist pilgrim (Fa-Hien) from China lived in Sri Lanka for two years around 411-413, and he called the country the "Lion Country" (Sinhala). Therefore, many artifacts related to lions can be seen in the ancient monuments of Sri Lanka. 3. There are more than 4,000 Bayeux books that record the ancient scriptures and Buddhist teachings of Sri Lanka in the Bayeux Library. The Bayeux book is a book carved from the leaves of the Bedoro tree in ancient times. It records the deeds, thoughts and scriptures of the saints. Later, people bound the words inscribed on the Bedoro leaves into a book. 4. Buddha statue and monk shoes When you walk into this premier cultural institution in Sri Lanka, a 9th century stone Buddha greets you with a mysterious smile. Among the precious cultural relics collected in the museum, there are many statues of Sakyamuni in stone and bronze, as well as many statues of Shiva in Hinduism. A pair of 9th century bronze monk shoes can also be seen. 5. There is also a magnificent crown worn by King Wimaladharma in 1693 in the Crown Pavilion. During the king's reign, he unsuccessfully attempted to regain control of the port and end the Dutch East India Company's trading franchise.