▁gener ations ▁of ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁Chinese ▁left ▁the ▁country ▁due ▁to ▁political ▁inst ability . ▁Additionally , ▁a ▁fair ▁amount ▁of ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁Chinese ▁have ▁at ▁times ▁migr ated ▁to ▁other ▁countries ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Australia . ▁ ▁M igration ▁history ▁ ▁Early ▁visitors ▁and ▁migr ants ▁Sri ▁L anka ' s ▁earliest ▁known ▁visitor ▁from ▁China ▁was ▁F ax ian , ▁a ▁ 5 th - century ▁Buddh ist ▁pil gr im ▁from ▁Sh an xi ▁who ▁travel led ▁over land ▁from ▁his ▁home ▁through ▁present - day ▁Nep al ▁and ▁India ▁before ▁coming ▁to ▁Ab h ay ag iri ▁D ag aba , ▁where ▁he ▁stayed ▁from ▁ 4 1 0 ▁to ▁ 4 1 4 . ▁During ▁the ▁M ing ▁dynast y ▁in ▁the ▁Y ong le ▁Emperor ' s ▁reign , ▁Admir al ▁Zh eng ▁He ' s ▁Tre asure ▁voy ages ▁visited ▁Sri ▁L anka ▁and ▁fought ▁in ▁the ▁M ing – K otte ▁War . ▁When ▁C ey lon ▁was ▁under ▁Dutch ▁rule ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁and ▁ 1 8 th ▁centuries , ▁the ▁Dutch ▁East ▁India ▁Company ▁authorities ▁at ▁Bat avia ▁( present - day ▁Jak arta , ▁Indones ia ) ▁would ▁occasionally ▁deport ▁un emp loy ed ▁or ▁illegal ▁Chinese ▁residents ▁to ▁C ey lon ▁( as ▁well ▁as ▁other ▁Dutch ▁colon ies , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Cape ▁of ▁Good ▁Hope ▁and ▁the ▁Band a ▁Islands ), ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁provide