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Marco Polo In China Essay

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Marco Polo in China: How One Man’s Adventure Changed the World

In 1271 Marco Polo set sail from Venice with his father and uncle, for China on an adventure that would last twenty-four years. Marco Polo arrived in China with his father and uncle in 1275 and returned to Venice in 1295. He brought back many riches from his travels to China, including silks, spices, jewels, and ideas, such as the concept of paper money, and the burning of coal for fuel. Marco Polo, his father, Niccolo and uncle, Maffeo were among the first Europeans to travel the Silk Road, the historic trade routes between Asia and Europe that connected China to the West. They traveled further along the Silk Road than any other European of their time, and were instrumental in …show more content…

With the publication of the book in 1298, Marco Polo’s notoriety and influence spread beyond Venice. The book was translated into multiple languages, and was widely read by scholars and aristocrats. Marco settled down into the life of a Venetian-based merchant, marrying a Venetian aristocrat, Donata Badoerand, with whom he had three daughters. He spent the rest of his life as both a merchant and advisor to scholars, geographers, and explorers. He died in 1324 at the age of 70, leaving behind a powerful record of his expeditions across Asia and one of the most popular books in Europe. His book changed the West’s understanding of navigation and geography, facilitated travel and trade between East and West, and sparked European interest in the exploration of previously unknown lands. Marco Polo’s adventures in China and his effectiveness as an unofficial ambassador also sparked an interest in China and Europe to look beyond their assumptions about other countries and cultures and to seek to establish political and cultural relationships as well. Although Marco Polo holds a prominent place in history for his contributions to the western civilization’s knowledge of the world beyond its borders, there have always been skeptics who call into question the veracity of Marco Polo’s accounts of

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