1.
Marco Polo is a world-famous traveler. He was born in 1254 in a merchant family in Venice, Italy. When I was 17 years old, I followed my father and uncle through the Middle East. It took more than four years to come to China, and I traveled in China for 17 years. After returning to China, he published a book, "The Travels of Marco Polo", which recorded his experiences in China, the richest country in the East. It aroused Europeans' enthusiastic yearning for the East and had a huge impact on the opening up of new sea routes in the future. influence. At the same time, Western geographers also drew early "world maps" based on the descriptions in the book.
When Marco Polo was a child, his father and uncle went to the East to do business. They came to Dadu (today's Beijing) of the Yuan Dynasty and met Kublai Khan of the Mongol Empire, and brought back the Khan. Letter to the Pope. After they returned home, little Marco Polo pestered them every day to tell them stories about their journey to the East. These stories aroused young Marco Polo's keen interest and made him determined to go to China with his father and uncle. In 1271, when Marco Polo was 17 years old, his father and uncle took the Pope's reply letter and gifts, and led Marco Polo and a dozen traveling companions to the East. They entered the Mediterranean from Venice, then crossed the Black Sea, passed through the two river basins and arrived at the ancient Middle Eastern city of Baghdad. From here to Hormuz, the outlet of the Persian Gulf, they could take a boat directly to China. However, something unexpected happened at this time. When they were paying for things in a town, they were targeted by robbers. The robbers caught them while they were sleeping at night and imprisoned them separately. In the middle of the night, Marco Polo and his father escaped. When they called for reinforcements, the robbers had already left, and except for the uncle, their other traveling companions were also missing.
Marco Polo, his father, and uncle came to Horschutz and waited for two months, but did not encounter a ship bound for China, so they had to take the land route instead.
This is a road full of difficulties and obstacles, a road that discourages even the most ambitious travelers. They headed east from Hormuz, crossed the desolate and terrifying Iranian desert, and crossed the steep and cold Pamir Plateau. Along the way, they traveled through mountains and rivers, overcame the problems of disease, hunger and thirst, and escaped the invasion of bandits and beasts. Finally, they arrived Xinjiang, China.
As soon as he arrived here, Marco Polo's eyes were attracted. The beautiful and prosperous Kashgar, Hotan rich in jade, and orchards full of fragrant flowers. Marco and the others continued eastward through the Taklimakan Desert to the ancient city of Dunhuang, where they admired the world-famous Buddha sculptures and murals. Then, they passed Yumen Pass and saw the Great Wall. Finally passing through the Hexi Corridor, we finally arrived at Shangdu, the northern capital of the Yuan Dynasty. It was already the summer of 1275, and four winters and summers had passed since they left their motherland!
Marco Polo's father and uncle presented the papal letters and gifts to Kublai Khan and introduced Marco Polo to the Khan. The Great Khan admired the young and smart Marco Polo very much, and specially invited them to the palace to tell them about their experiences along the way, and took them back to the capital with him. Later, he retained them as officials in the Yuan Dynasty.
The clever Marco Polo quickly learned Mongolian and Chinese. Taking advantage of the opportunity of touring various places on the orders of the Great Khan, he traveled through the mountains and rivers of China. He was stunned by the vastness and wealth of China. He has visited Xinjiang, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Beijing and other places, and also served as ambassador to Vietnam, Myanmar, and Sumatra. Everywhere he goes, he always investigates the local customs, geography, and people in detail. After returning to Dadu, he reported to Kublai Khan in detail.
In "Marco Polo's Travels", he praised China's prosperity; developed industry and commerce, bustling markets, gorgeous and cheap silk brocades, magnificent capital, perfect and convenient Post road transportation, widely circulated banknotes, etc. The content in the book makes everyone who reads this book infinitely fascinated.
Seventeen years passed quickly, and Marco Polo became more and more homesick. In the spring of 1292, Marco Polo, his father, and uncle were entrusted by Kublai Khan to escort a Mongolian princess to Persia to get married. They took the opportunity to request the Khan to return home.
The Great Khan promised them that after completing their mission, they could return home.
At the end of 1295, the three of them finally returned to their relatives after twenty-four years. News of their return from China quickly spread throughout Venice, and what they saw aroused great interest. The countless rare treasures they brought back from China made them rich in Venice overnight.
In 1298, Marco Polo participated in the war between Venice and Genoa and was unfortunately captured. In prison, he met the writer Ruth Tiqian, and thus he came up with "The Travels of Marco Polo", which was dictated by Marco Polo and recorded by Ruth Tiqian. This book was widely circulated in Europe, arousing Europeans' admiration for Chinese civilization and wealth, and ultimately led to the discovery of new shipping routes and new continents.
The giant hand that lifts the veil of the East
(24/01/99)
● Wang Peter (1323) Venice report
Venetian celebrity Marco Polo died.
The 70-year-old traveler still insisted that all his narrations about the
East were "no deception" and completely true
.
A priest who saw Marco Polo for the last time
said that the old Polo's dying breath showed that he had not deceived the people of this city.
"He said that he just didn't tell the other half of what he saw and heard."
Priest Nisio originally wanted Marco Polo to admit it.
He That travelogue is complete nonsense.
Marco Polo left Venice, his birthplace, when he was 17 years old. After traveling for 25 years, he arrived 29 years ago (1295) with a lot of wealth and stories from the East. return. He told people in his hometown that he lived, traveled and even served as an official in the Mongolian Empire for most of his life.
The world's largest empire, built on horses and fierce herdsmen, spread throughout
A large area of ??Asia and Eastern Europe. But before Marco Polo, Europeans had limited knowledge of it.
The church’s Eastern “concept” is either that it is deserted, or that it is inhabited by wild beasts
and demons. Of course, in the minds of ordinary Christians, dealing with demons is the corruption of the soul.
Marco Polo brought back a completely different version. As the first European to cross the Asian continent, he told his fellow villagers that the Mongol Khans were not terrible, and he also hoped to trade directly with Europe. What's more important is that China, the base of Khan's regime, has a civilization far superior to Europe
.
These Eastern stories are mainly written in "The Travels of Marco Polo". The book consists of four volumes, and was later translated and published in large numbers, becoming the best-selling travelogue in the Middle Ages and having the greatest influence on Europeans.
Of course, travel notes have also caused a lot of controversy. Some Venetians said, "He heard that in the camp of the Persian merchants." At that time, it was "the end of the sky" to be able to go to Persia for business.
Pompieri, who sold fruit near St. Mark's Square, recalled: "When Marco returned to Venice
No one recognized him or believed what he said. Look at him. Tatar costume, and said that he was fake. However, after he took out the treasure, everyone had to believe it." At that time, Marco Polo's "Oriental Exposition" display. The products include ivory, jade, porcelain, silk and banknotes, etc. The news quickly caused a sensation. He told the Venetians: "Anyone willing to pay the price and venture to the far East can make huge profits from the trade in gold, jewels, silks and spices. ."
Whether it is an exaggeration or not, many locals are indeed curious about the East or have dreams of getting rich
.
Although the boatman Pelarin was illiterate and had never read travelogues, he told stories that made him excited.
"If I were still a teenager, I would definitely go to the East to try my luck."
The Venetians were not the only ones who admired Marco Polo. An Arab merchant who arrived shortly after the spice ship said privately that the use of the Silk Road was a privilege given to the Arabs by the Mongols. If Venice directly trades with China, it will be detrimental to them. unfavorable. However, he said that he greatly admired Marco Polo's perseverance and his adventurous and enterprising spirit. He said: "You have to know, it takes several years to go from here to
China!"
Features
Europe's first China Pass
Businessmen, officials, travelers, adventurers, soldiers, language geniuses, ancient speakers... whatever you want
Marco Polo has it all.
The course of his life was so exciting that the travel notes narrated by him and recorded by the Pisa writer Ruth Tichin
easily became the best-selling book in medieval Europe.
The author of the original version of his travelogue, "The Wonders of the World," commented on his "storyteller": "From the time God created Adam to the present, there has never been anyone. Whether Christian, Pagan, Tartar, Indian or any race, like Marco Polo, he has been to so many places in the world, observed and explored, and knows so much Strange customs and customs."
In 1271, my father and uncle began their second journey to the East. That time I said goodbye to Venice
There was also 17-year-old Marco, who was full of curiosity about the world outside Europe.
The three people first arrived in Israel, then passed through Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, crossed the Pamirs
, walked through the Taklimakan Desert into Xinjiang, and then Gansu... 1275 Then we walked to Shangdu, the imperial palace not far from Beijing, and met Kublai Khan, Emperor Shun of Yuan Dynasty, who was eager to learn about Europe at that time.
During the journey, Marco Polo was ill for more than a year due to lack of oxygen on the plateau. Other dangers that must be overcome include sandstorms, avalanches, drought, and bandits. They also narrowly escaped death many times in plague areas and in conflict zones between the Crusaders and Islamists.
Kublai Khan admired the perseverance of the three people. Marco Polo, who was smart, studious, and understood oriental customs and languages, was even more highly regarded. During his more than 10 years in the Yuan Empire, Marco Polo served as the highest governor of Yangzhou and also served as an envoy to Vietnam, Java, and Sumatra.
In the summer of 1292, taking advantage of the opportunity to escort a Mongolian princess to Persia (today's Iran), three members of the Polo family set out from Quanzhou. It took more than three years to miraculously back to Venice.
Marco Polo, who brought back many oriental treasures, became a rich man and was known as the "Millionaire". But at the same time, he was also known as the "Man of Millions of Lies" because many Venetians believed that his "magic tales" could not be believed.
His travel notes said that Hangzhou, the former capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, had 10 huge markets, 1.6 million houses
, and 144,000 factories...
Europeans regard pepper as a luxury product, but Hangzhou people consume 4,740 kilograms of pepper every day. This is simply "paradise on earth"! In addition, he said that there are as many as 12,000 stone bridges in the city, and large ships can be connected under them
! Just imagine, how can people in the water town of Venice swallow such a breath?
More than 100 Asian cities were mentioned in the travelogue, and there were many descriptions that surprised Europeans
For example, he said he saw a spring spouting oil (the oil fields in Baku), Burnable stone (coal),
Use light paper to make currency (banknotes)...
Blacksmith Chilauro said that he would not believe it even if he died.
"Everyone works hard for copper coins or
silver coins. If you give a piece of paper, who is willing to accept it?"
But the ship owner Zorro, who claimed to have seen Marco Polo take out his jewelry, said: "If it weren't for the Tatar King
who could give so much wealth?"
Comments
What if China also had a "Journey to the West"
Marco Polo deceived the Venetians at that time?
Probably no travel book has sparked so many centuries of debate. To this day, there are still doubters. For example, the British book scholar Wood said: "The story is so wonderful, but... like many great historical legends, records "They are all myths."
She said: "If Marco Polo really visited China, why would the most important things such as the Great Wall
, tea, chopsticks, square Chinese characters, and women with tied feet... …Have they all been missed?”
Some scholars have also checked Chinese documents. Their biggest doubt is that the records of Chinese historians are as detailed as a running account, but Marco Polo's name does not even appear.
It expanded the geographical and spiritual horizons of Europeans
However, these opinions cannot change the orthodox view that Marco Polo indeed visited China.
Changes cannot change the expansion of the travel notes. This fact reflects the geographical and spiritual horizons of medieval Europeans.
Before Marco Polo, the Venetians believed that they were the richest city-state in the Mediterranean and even Christianity
It is called the "Mediterranean" sea, what is it if it is not the center of the world? ?
But this great traveler pointed out that there was a greater center of civilization and power in the East
Added some exaggerated narratives, his travel notes inspired Europeans' Oriental sentiment in the following centuries
. Many people began to flock to the East and learn from the East, causing Europe to undergo changes
When they began to excel in science and technology, industry, and military, they knew far more about the world than they had ever seen
There are competitors.
In fact, the first accurate map of Asia owned by Europeans was based on Marco Polo
's travel notes. Some people therefore believe that imperialism and Orientalism were born on the same day! And
Marco Polo was the initiator of all this "one-way learning".
Here are two whims. One is: If what Marco Polo saw was not the Mongol Empire that "immediately conquered the world
", but the earlier and weak Song Dynasty, or the later closed and rigid Ming Dynasty,
Does the West not have to wait until its ships are strong and its artillery powerful before it starts an Opium War? And will the process of China's modern history also be greatly pushed forward?
The second is: Marco Polo, who has never been seen in a thousand years, was not a Venetian, but was born in Hangzhou or Beijing.
In the 15th century, Zheng He’s voyages to the West only reached Africa as far as Africa. Suppose that when Europeans were engaged in the Renaissance, the Great Navigation or the Industrial Revolution, there would be a "Marco Polo of China" who wrote a true "Journey to the West" to tell the story The Celestial Empire is a powerful country and has inspired the Chinese to step out of isolation and go global.
World history in recent centuries may also have to be rewritten.
It is China’s regret that it does not have its own Marco Polo
In short, it is China’s regret that it does not have its own Marco Polo. When the cannons hit the door,
it was too late for Wei Yuan's "Hai Guo Tu Zhi" to "use the barbarians to control the barbarians".
Starting from Marco Polo, the tilt angle on the scale of Eastern and Western civilization began to reverse. Regardless of whether Venice or even the whole of Europe was deceived, their statement that "Columbus changed geography and Marco Polo changed history" is absolutely true.
Scavenging
Marco Polo brought back glasses and ice cream?
When visiting Venice in the 14th century, the most surprising discovery was that glasses were already produced locally.
According to the elders, this kind of "glass" was also brought from the East by Marco Polo.
Oh, it’s Marco Polo again.
By the way, the advent of glasses had a great impact on future generations. One of the points is: It ensures that "the world is not ruled by young people under 40 years old." (Get)
It seems that Europeans have a lot to thank Marco Polo for.
For example, the Venetians had never seen painting materials as colorful as Chinese paints. Marco Polo introduced them to them.
The Chinese were the first nation to use paper money. The Venetians, who were still using precious gold, tin, and copper mines to mint coins, were also surprised.
Also, if Marco Polo had not brought back the Chinese recipe, modern Italians would not be able to enjoy the delicious taste of pasta and ice cream.
Humans of the Future: The two continents of the East and the West are closer
Marco Polo’s Eastern knowledge brought a whole new world of knowledge to Europeans. The travel notes broke down many suspicions and religious fallacies, and aroused Europeans' yearning for the East. From then on, the distance between the two continents began to narrow.
Many valuable medieval maps were produced with reference to travel notes. Many great European navigators of later generations were inspired by Marco Polo.
In fact, the discovery of the American continent was an accident, because Columbus, a loyal reader of travel notes,
Her original destination was the wealthy China. At that time, Europeans believed that east of China was a vast ocean, and on the other side of the ocean was the home of Europe. In 2.1254, Marco Polo was born in Italy. A merchant family in the city of Venice. His father Nicola Polo and his uncle Matteo Polo were both giant businessmen in Venice and often conducted commercial activities in the eastern Mediterranean area.
In 1269, Marco Polo was 15 years old. In April of that year, the Polo brothers returned to Venice and met Marco for the first time. Marco's mother had passed away.
At the end of 1270, Marco Polo was 16 years old. The three Polo family left Venice and set out for the Yuan Dynasty.
On September 1, 1271, Marco Polo was 17 years old. When Pope X came to the throne, the three Polo men arrived in Ajas, then returned to Agge to meet the new pope. At the end of the year, the three Polo brothers left Ajas, passed through Hurumos, and headed eastward along the Silk Road.
In the summer of 1274, Marco Polo was 20 years old. In the third year after setting off from Ayasi, the three Polo men arrived in Xanadu, met with Kublai Khan, and became his ministers.
At the end of 1290, Marco Polo was 36 years old. The three Boluos were ordered by Kublai Khan to send Princess Kuokuozhen sailing from Quanzhou to the Ier Khanate.
In 1294, Marco Polo was 40 years old. The three Polos returned to Tablis, where they stayed for nine months, then went to Trebizond, where they were plundered by the Genoese, and then went to Constantinople, where Kublai Khan died that year.
In 1296, Marco Polo was 42 years old. The war between Venice and Genoa intensified.
In 1298, Marco Polo was 44 years old. Marco participated in a naval battle, was captured by Genoa and imprisoned. He orally described his experiences in the East in prison, which was written down by Ruth Tiqian, and later became "Records of His Experience in the East".
In 1324, Marco Polo was 70 years old. He died that year and was buried in Venice. Church of Dorez.