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The explorer Marco PoloDo you love the booms and sizzles of a good fireworks show? What about the feel of folding a five-dollar bill to put in your pocket? If so, you can thank Marco Polo. Learn about Marco Polo's life and his travels to China, where he found some of the important ideas and items we use today.Who Is Marco Polo?Marco Polo was a famous explorer that lived in the 13th century. He's famous for going to China and bringing back lots of things we use today. His book, The Travels of Marco Polo, which told the stories of his journey, influenced other famous explorers such as Christopher Columbus.Marco Polo Kublai KhanTravelsMarco began his famous journey in 1271 when he was only 17 years old. He set off with his father and uncle, who had already traveled to China and met emperor Kublai Khan; the emperor had asked them to return with gifts and 100 educated men.After leaving their hometown of Venice, they sailed to the eastern Mediterranean, stopping in places such as Jerusalem, where they picked up more gifts for Kublai Khan before continuing overland through Turkey, the Caucasus Mountains, and Persia (Iran) to the city of Hormuz, on the Persian Gulf. They were faced with a decision: take a boat to China, or keep going overland?Going by sea was risky, so they continued overland, passing through the towering Hindu Kush and Pamir mountains before descending into western China. They followed the Silk Road route along the southern edge of the Takla Makan desert, finally arriving in Shangdu, the capital of Yuan China, in 1275. They presented Kublai Khan with sacred oil from Jerusalem and with letters from the Pope. Their journey of almost four years had taken them through some of the world's driest deserts and tallest mountains.Years in China For 17 years, Marco, his father, and his uncle lived in China and worked for the emperor. Kublai Khan sent Marco on many trips throughout the empire; one trip took him as far as Myanmar in southeast Asia. But the Polos knew that they must return to Venice. The emperor was getting old. If he were to die, the next leader might not treat the Polos as kindly as Kublai Khan did.They convinced the emperor to let them accompany a Mongol princess to Persia, where she was going to marry a Persian prince. Along with the Polos, 600 others joined in the sea voyage. By the time their ship made it to Hormuz, only 18 people were still alive, including the princess and all three Polos. The Polos continued homeward.Marco Polos f?rdv?gar – tryck f?r mer infoMarco Polo in VeniceShortly thereafter, Marco Polo was captured in battle by Venice’s archrival Genoa. While in prison he met the adventure writer Rustichello of Pisa, with whom he wrote the manuscript called “Description of the World”, better known as “The Travels of Marco Polo” or simply “The Travels.” With the help of notes taken during his adventures, Marco Polo reverently described Kublai Khan and his palaces, along with paper money, coal, postal service, eyeglasses and other innovations that had not yet appeared in Europe. He also told tales about warfare, commerce, geography, intrigues and the sexual practices of the people who lived under Mongol rule. Not all of it necessary true.A Genoese-Venetian peace treaty in 1299 allowed Marco Polo to return home. He probably never left Venetian territory again. The following year, he married Donata Badoer, with whom he would have three daughters. Not much is known about his golden years except that he continued trading. Marco Polo died in January 1324, having helped to inspire a later generation of explorers. Everything we know about him comes from his own text and a few Venetian documents; Asian sources never mentioned him. This lack of hard evidence has caused a small number of skeptics to question whether Marco Polo actually made it to China. They back up their case by pointing to certain inaccuracies in “The Travels,” as well as his failure to report such practices as chopstick use and foot binding.?The Silk RoadMarco Polo?traveled along the Silk Road visiting the Yuan capital city Dadu (today's?Beijing). In his?famous book about the Orient?he mentions a special passport in the form of a board. It was issued by the Yuan government to the merchants to protect their trade and free movement within the country.Other preferential treatment was also given to the merchants, and silk was traded for?medicines,?perfumes,?slaves, and?precious stones.As overland trade became increasingly dangerous, and travel by sea became more popular, trade along the Silk Road declined. While the Chinese did maintain a silk-fur trade with the Russians north of the original Silk Road, by?the end of the fourteenth century, trade and travel along the route had?decreased?significantly.The new Silk RoadAnd now it’s being resurrected. Announced in 2013 by President Xi Jinping, a brand new double trade corridor is set to reopen channels between China and its neighbours in the west: most notably Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe.?According to the?“Belt and Road Action Plan”, released in 2015, the initiative will encompass land routes (the “Belt”) and maritime routes (the “Road”) with the goal of improving trade relationships in the region primarily through infrastructure investments.The project has proved vast, expensive and controversial. Four years after it was first unveiled, the question remains:Why is China doing it?Chinese manufacturing also stands to gain. The country’s vast industrial overcapacity – mainly in the creation of steel and heavy equipment – could find lucrative outlets along the New Silk Road, and this could allow Chinese manufacturing to swing towards higher-end industrial goods. ................
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