Marco Polo

Marco Polo lived in Beijing for 17 years !!!!

(from a book I am reading)

13th Century there are no records of Europeans doing business with India or China.

Europeans believed that Jeruselum was the end of the world.

Nicolo Polo & Maffeo Polo traveled from Venice through Arab countires to China (via land). (it would be so cool to do that trip now)

1265 they reached inner mongolia
Kublai Khan received them

The Emperor listened about Europe. He dispatched an envoy to the Vatican. The envoy got sick, so the polo brothers brought the message to teh Vatican.

THIS IS THE FIRST EURO - ASIA CONTINENT TRAVEL IN HISTORY.

1271
They went back to China. Delievered a message from teh pontificate to Kublai Khan.
They brought Nicolo's son Marco Polo.

When seeing the palace of Kublai Khan, Marco Polo was deeply impressed

"Its design is ingenious and sophisticated. All the halls are decotrated with gold"

1275
Marco Polo went to Khan-baliq (present day Beijing)
Kublai Khan gave him a post.

Marco Polo stayed in China for 17 years !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow (kinda jealous)

Marco Polo kept a diary.

"The grand halls in the palace are majestic and magnificent'

Marco traveled extensively in China.

Marco witnessed many things he had never seen in the west.

--- the use of coal for energy (he introduced to europe)
--- people using paper money (in europe they used to carry around gold)

1292
Marco had to take a message to the pontiff and kings of britain & france
he returned to venice 1298
venice was attacked and defeated by genoa

Marco polo was put in prison

Marco told what he saw and heard in China to his cell mate..... Rusticiano, a writer. The writer recorded his story in French (I so have to read that book!!!!!). The manuscript was kept in Paris. "The Travels of Marco Polo".

Nobody believed Marco Polo. They would not believe that China was rich and prosperous. Marco died in prison.

For 200 hundred years noone took the same journey until christopher columbus read 'the travels of marco polo'. He began to search for China and India by sea.