With modern China today finally occupying its rightful place on the world stage, Polo's masterpiece remains a fascinating account of 'old China' from a highly observant foreign visitor. The Travels of Marco Polo can rightly be described as the founding adventure book of the modern world. Despite the fact that there was still no printing in Europe, the book was a popular success (in manuscript). He returned to Venice, where he died on January 8, 1324.In the late 1290s Venetian merchant Marco Polo dictated an account of his own travels in north and south China (Cathay and Manji, in Polo's terminology) to a scribe with whom he shared a prison cell in Genoa. There he met a writer who helped him to describe his travels in a book. Forces from the trading city of Genoa, a rival of Venice, captured his ship. Everyone was amazed to see them alive after so many years. Then they went overland through Persia and Turkey. They sailed from eastern China to the coast of Persia. His errands took him all the way to southwestern China and probably Burma (now Myanmar).įor their return trip to Venice, the Polos took 14 of Kublai Khan’s ships. For about 17 years Marco Polo worked for the emperor. This was the summer home of Kublai Khan, the Mongol emperor of China. In 1275 the Polos reached Shangdu, in Mongolia. The Silk Road was a trade route for fine silk cloth from China. In central Asia they followed a trail called the Silk Road. Then they traveled overland through Turkey, Persia (now Iran), and Afghanistan.
The Polos sailed over the Mediterranean Sea to what is now Israel. His father and uncle were merchants who traveled to many lands.
Marco Polo was born in about 1254, probably in Venice (now in Italy). The book helped Europeans to learn about Asian peoples and goods. He wrote a famous book about his experiences. During the Middle Ages the Italian merchant Marco Polo spent many years in China.
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