The Trilingual Inscription is a unique stone tablet bearing inscriptions in Chinese, Tamil, and Persian, discovered in 1911 near Cripps Road in Galle, on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, by British engineer H. F. Tomalin. The inscription was carefully removed and, after considerable scholarly effort, deciphered by archaeologists. It is now preserved in the National Museum, Colombo, with a replica displayed at the Galle Museum.

Dated 15 February 1409, the inscription was installed by the renowned Chinese Admiral Zheng He, who led seven major maritime expeditions across the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean between 1405 and 1433. The text praises Buddha, the Hindu god Vishnu, and Allah, symbolizing religious harmony and cross-cultural interaction. Originally inscribed at the Treasure Boat Shipyard Park in Nanjing during the seventh regional year of the Ming Emperor Yongle, the tablet was transported to Sri Lanka on Zheng He’s third voyage.

The inscription records offerings made to a sacred mountain shrine and stands as the only known trilingual inscription combining Chinese, Tamil, and Persian. Jointly nominated by Sri Lanka and China for inclusion in the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register, it  represents three major cultural and religious traditions, reflecting Sri Lanka’s historic role as a hub of global maritime, cultural, and religious exchange.