Ban Gu
The relationship between the Chinese and the Cholas dates back to second century BC. According to ancient Chinese scholar Ban Gu, China sent an ambassador to the court of the Cholas. In his work the Book of Han ("Ch'ien Han Shu"), Ban Gu mentions seeing at the city of 'kuvangtche' many objects that were unknown to China at that time. Berend, an acoustics expert, annotates that the city named by Ban Gu is analogous with the ancient Chola city 'kanchi' (the present day city of Kancheepuram in Tamil nadu, India). This suggests that Kanchi may have been an important hub for trade between the Chola kingdom and China.