Shaping an ideal national image is of great significance for social development. Sri Lanka, composed of diverse ethnic groups such as the Sinhalese, Tamils, Moors, and Burghers, etc. has contradictory national images presented to the outside world. Such paradoxical images of the "pearl" and the "teardrop" covering and revealing each other represents the structural contradictions and the dilemma of future development choices within the country. Together, the diverse ecosystems, long historical heritage, and diverse social and cultural structures form the basis of Sri Lanka's positive image as a “pearl”, while the complex and tangled ethnic relations and fierce competition among various beliefs cause internal divisions once in a while, which then reveal the country’s negative image as a "teardrop". Various ethnic groups have started to focus on presenting the national image of "pearl", reflecting their expectation for the country to develop harmoniously. Yet achieving social harmony among all ethnic groups is also an important prerequisite for Sri Lanka to eventually transform its national image from the “teardrop” to the “pearl” .
In a practical sense, collecting large volume of first-hand materials of Sri Lanka through ethnographic research is beneficial for deeply understanding that in what ways images of "pearls" and "tears" coexist and overshadows by each other, and how Sri Lanka swings between the two images. It is so urgent for China to understand Sri Lanka and other countries, because better implementation of the "the Belt and Road" initiative in the local area is helpful not only for protecting China's overseas interests, but also for stimulating peace and development.
In a theoretical sense, conducting case study by Chinese scholars in developing countries along "the Belt and Road" provides new vision for the world anthropology. Meanwhile, an in-depth study of Sri Lankan national symbolism vitalizes the field of national image research.
