On one occasion in Bukhara, an envoy of the Ilkhanate on a pilgrimage to the Mongol Khan passed by and asked the brothers to go to China. The two then rode with the Ire Khanate envoys for a year, arrived in Shangdu [now northwest of Duolun County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region], was summoned by the Yuan Shizuizu Kublai's and appreciated, and sent them on behalf of the Yuan government, accompanied by the Mongolian envoys to the Holy See. In the middle of the journey, they learned that the Pope had died and a new Pope had not yet been elected, so the brothers went back to Venice on their way to visit their family. Nicholas stayed at his home in Venice for two years before returning to the Yuan Dynasty with Marco Polo.
In 1271 A.D., they set out from Venice, crossed the Mediterranean Sea, and traveled east along the Silk Road, passing through Turkey, Iraq, and Iran, and crossing the Pamir to reach the East, and then took the route eastward through Xinjiang and Gansu. They lived in Ganzhou [i.e., Zhangye, Gansu] for one year. During this period, they traveled to present-day Ejinagi Banner, Xining, and other places. Then northeast travel through Ningxia, northern Shaanxi and other places, lasted three and a half years, in 1275 AD arrived in the Yuan dynasty on the capital, and later arrived in the metropolis [today's Beijing city people at this time, Marco Polo is only about twenty years old, because of the relationship between his father, uncle, was able to get close to Kublai.
Because he was young, intelligent, quickly learned the Mongolian language, and familiar with the Yuan dynasty etiquette, coupled with his ability to speak, knowledgeable, good at guessing and catering to the hearts of others, and therefore favored by the Yuan Shizu's favor, the court for a long time to serve in important positions. He served in the Yuan Dynasty for seventeen years, and Kublai sent him as a minister to visit Shanxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, etc., and served as the governor of Yangzhou for three years; he was also involved in diplomatic activities, and went on missions on behalf of the Yuan government to Burma, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Java, Sumatra, etc. He was very familiar with the etiquette of different parts of China at that time, so he was very familiar with the etiquette of different parts of China at that time. Therefore, he was well acquainted with the situation in various parts of China and Asian countries at that time, as well as with many major events of the Yuan Dynasty.
In 1292 A.D., Marco Polo, father and son, left China and arrived in Persia after two years and two months by sea through Sumatra and India. Soon after, the two Italian commercial powers Venice and Genoa for the right to sea trade and access, war broke out. Marco Polo, as a great merchant of Venice, joined the Venetian fleet. 1298 September, in a battle with the Genoese, Marco Polo was wounded and captured. In the Genoese prison, he asked the writer Ruentigian, who was in the same prison, to write down in French his experiences and insights of more than twenty years in the countries of the square, which is the famous Marco Polo's Travels (also known as Oriental Insights).
This codex attracted great attention when it was published, and was copied and translated into several languages. This book systematically introduces the European land transport routes to the Asian continent, introduced China, Central Asia, West Asia and South Asia geography and prosperity and affluence of the scene, the introduction of the Oriental high development of civilization and culture, so that Europeans opened their eyes, was called "the world's largest book of wonders". Over the past seven hundred years, it has attracted hundreds of millions of readers. Among them, Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Zhangye, printing, gunpowder, compass, can be used as fuel "black stone" [coal], have a lot of records. This book is also a study of China, the study of the Silk Road, the precious historical materials, and Columbus discovered the New World of America also has a certain impact.
Born in 1254 in Venice, Italy, a merchant family of Marco Polo, since childhood has been full of yearning for the mysterious East, with the growth of age and become a kind of adventure travel desire. Marco Polo's hometown of Venice
is a beautiful scenery of the famous water city, but also a prosperous place of trade, the birth of many world-famous giant merchants. Marco Polo's father, Niccolò Romano, uncle Maffeo, has been in the world of trade activities, traveled around many countries, in 1260 along the Silk Road to China
Country, until 1269 to return to Venice. While in China, they were honored by Kublai.
Here is a brief summary of Marco's life
Date Age Biography
1269 15 In April, the Polo brothers returned to Venice and met Marco for the first time; Marco's mother had died.
1270 16 At the end of the year, the three Polos leave Venice and set out for the Yuan dynasty.
1271 17 On September 1, Pope X becomes emperor, the three Polo's arrive in Ajas, and turn back to Agh, to visit the new pope, and at the end of the year, the three Polo's leave Ajas and travel eastward by the Silk Road via Kurumos.
1274 20 summer, the third year after the three Polo from Ayas, arrived in Shangdu, audience with Kublai, became Kublai's vassal.
1290 36 At the end of the year, the three Polo men were ordered by Kublai to send Princess Kokachin to sail from Quanzhou to the Ilkhanate.
1294 40 Polo three back to Tabriz, stayed nine months, and then went to Trebizond, by the Genoese plunder, and then to Constantinople, this year Kublai died.
1296 42 The war between Venice and Genoa was intensified.
1298 44 Marco took part in a naval battle, was captured by Genoa and imprisoned. While in prison, he dictated his experiences of the Orient, which were written down by Rustigian, and became the "Records of the Orient".
1324 70 Marco died and was buried in the Church of St. Doretz in Venice.