The Mongol Yuan Empire dispatched an expedition in 1284 to Sri Lanka. Kublai Khan ordered the voyage with the objective of seizing the tooth of Buddha, one of the most holy relics of Buddhism. Aboard this voyage was an official representative of Kublai, Marco Polo.
In 1293, another fleet of the Yuan Empire including Marco Polo visited Sri Lanka on its way to Persia. In 1411, the Chinese Ming Empire sent an expedition under Zheng He to Sri Lanka, and waged a war for the tooth of Buddha.