CultureEast Asia
Marco Polo
A travel account Europe refused to believe
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Whether he actually reached China is debated — he mentions neither tea, Chinese writing nor foot-binding. But much else fits strikingly well, and the journey was possible precisely because the Mongol empire had made Eurasia safe to cross. The book shaped Europe's idea of the East for two centuries, and drove the search for a sea route there.
For children
Marco Polo travelled from Venice to China and back, describing cities, paper money and coal burned for fuel. Europeans thought he exaggerated and called the book "The Million". Columbus owned a copy with his own notes in the margin.
Connects to
Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org