Marco Polo (马可·波罗) — The Silk Road Emissary across Continents
Dynasty: Yuan Dynasty / Venice (1254-1324)
Traversed the Silk Road for 24 years, bridging East and West in epic wonder.
Life Footprint & Journey Nodes
Venice, Republic of Venice (意大利威尼斯共和国 (水城启程)) - Age 17
Queen of the Adriatic and maritime merchant republic, Venice, Italy
A Seventeen-Year-Old Bidding Farewell to the Grand Canal
Raised among merchants in maritime Venice. In 1271, 17-year-old Marco set sail with his father Niccolò and uncle Maffeo, carrying messages and commercial ambitions toward the heart of Asia.
The world is wide and rich in wonders for those who dare to cross its borders.
世界辽阔无垠，等待着无畏者去亲眼见证它的奇迹。 (Shìjiè liáokuò wúyín, děngdài zhe wúwèi zhě qù qīnyǎn jiànzhèng tā de qíjì.)Acre & Jerusalem, Levant (地中海阿卡与耶路撒冷 (受赐圣油)) - Age 17
Crusader seaport and holy crossroads of the Levant, modern Acre, Israel
Holy Oil and Papal Letters for the Great Khan
At Acre, newly elected Pope Gregory X granted the Polos papal credentials and blessed oil from the Holy Sepulchre to present to Kublai Khan, wishing for peaceful dialogue between East and West.
May these two mighty realms encounter one another in peace and understanding.
愿这两座相隔万里的伟大帝国，在和平与智慧中相向而行。 (Yuàn zhè liǎng zuò xiānggé wàn lǐ de wěidà dìguó, zài hépíng yǔ zhìhuì zhōng xiāngxiàng ér xíng.)Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf (波斯霍尔木兹海峡 (转行陆路)) - Age 18
Strategic Persian Gulf trading emporium, modern Hormuz, Iran
Ships Tied with Cords: Turning Away from a Watery Grave
Arriving at Hormuz intending to sail to China. Seeing ships built without iron nails, sewn together only with coconut fiber twine, the Polos abandoned the sea route, choosing the overland trek through mountains.
Their ships are wretched affairs, stitched together with cords made of coconut husk.
那些船只脆弱得经不起风暴一击，稍有巨浪便将解体沉沦海底。 (Nàxiē chuánzhī cuìruò de jīngbuqǐ fēngbào yījī, shāoyǒu jùlàng biàn jiāng jiětǐ chénlún hǎidǐ.)Pamir Mountains & Wakhan Corridor (帕米尔高原与瓦罕走廊 (世界屋脊)) - Age 20
Rugged Roof of the World mountain gateway between Central and East Asia
Across the Roof of the World: Wild Sheep with Five-Foot Horns
Traversing the Pamir plateau at 15,000 feet and resting awhile in the Badakhshan region. Marco recorded the extreme cold where 'fire does not give the same heat', the giant wild sheep later named Marco Polo sheep (*Ovis ammon polii*), and stories of fireproof mineral cloth ('salamander cloth') that could be cleansed in open flames.
On this high plain no birds fly because of the cold, and fire does not give the same heat.
在这高寒的原野上，甚至连鸟儿都不飞，火焰也失去了原本的温度。 (Zài zhè gāohán de yuányě shàng, shènzhì lián niǎor dōu bù fēi, huǒyàn yě shīqù le yuánběn de wēndù.)Dunhuang, Hexi Corridor, China (中国甘肃敦煌 (莫高窟与鸣沙山)) - Age 20
Ancient Silk Road trading oasis and Buddhist grottoes, Gansu, China
Emerging into Cathay: Shazhou Temples and Silk Road Caravans
Arriving at Shazhou (Dunhuang) on the Hexi Corridor. Marco recorded Buddhist temple complexes, pilgrim and caravan rituals along the desert edge, and the bustling oasis life that marked the gateway into Cathay.
Shazhou abounds in Buddhist temples; caravans come and go without cease—an oasis gateway into Cathay.
沙州多佛寺，商旅往来不绝，绿洲为入华西陲之门户。 (Shāzhōu duō fó sì, shānglǚ wǎnglái bù jué, lǜzhōu wéi rù Huá xīchuí zhī ménhù.)Shangdu (Xanadu), Inner Mongolia, China (中国内蒙古上都开平 (觐见忽必烈)) - Age 21
Summer palace and grasslands capital of Kublai Khan, Inner Mongolia, China
Standing in Marble Palaces before the Master of the World
After 3.5 years of overland journey, the Polos were received by Emperor Kublai Khan at his summer capital Xanadu. Marco spoke Mongolian and Persian fluently, impressing the Khan with his wit and curiosity.
The Great Khan received them with honor and took young Marco into his personal service.
大汗待客以最高礼节，称赞马可年轻机敏，胜过诸国寻常使者。 (Dàhàn dàikè yǐ zuìgāo lǐjié, chēngzàn Mǎkě niánqīng jīmǐn, shèngguò zhūguó xúncháng shǐzhě.)Khanbaliq / Dadu (Beijing), China (中国北京元大都 (帝国中枢盛景)) - Age 22
Winter imperial metropolis of the Great Khan, modern Beijing, China
Paper Money and Stone Fuel: Inside the Grandest Capital on Earth
Living in Dadu for over a decade. Marco was astounded by printed mulberry-bark paper currency, the massive palace walls, organized postal relay stations (Yam), and the burning of 'black stones' (coal) for winter heating.
All merchants and everyone in the empire accept this paper money as if it were pure gold and silver.
全帝国的所有商人和臣民都乐意接受这种纸币，一如它是纯金与纯银。 (Quán dìguó de suǒyǒu shāngrén hé chénmín dōu lèyì jiēshòu zhè zhǒng zhǐbì, yī rú tā shì chúnjīn yǔ chúnyín.)Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China (中国江苏扬州府 (总管三年运河)) - Age 28
Flourishing canal metropolis where Marco Polo claimed administrative tenure, Jiangsu
Governing the Salt Capital: A Venetian Rules the Grand Canal
Appointed to govern or oversee administrative duties in Yangzhou for three full years. Marco observed the immense salt production, bustling Grand Canal silk commerce, and exquisite craftsmanship of Jiangnan.
The city lives by trade and crafts, producing silk and armor, sending countless vessels down the river.
此城制造极为精巧的各类武器与丝织品，运河商船如织，岁税不可胜计。 (Cǐ chéng zhìzào jíwéi jīngqiǎo de gèlèi wǔqì yǔ sīzhīpǐn, yùnhé shāngchuán rú zhī, suìshuì bùkě shèngjì.)Quanzhou (Zaiton), Fujian, China (中国福建泉州刺桐港 (刺桐拔锚远航)) - Age 37
World's preeminent medieval maritime trading port, Fujian, China
Fourteen Colossal Treasure Ships Departing Zaiton
Tasked with escorting Mongol princess Kököchin to Persia. The Polos set sail from Quanzhou (Zaiton), then the busiest port on Earth with hundreds of spice-laden junks, leading 14 colossal four-masted treasure ships.
For one shipload of pepper that goes to Alexandria, a hundred ships come to this port of Zaiton.
运往亚历山大港的一艘胡椒船，对应运往这刺桐港的足有一百艘之多！ (Yùnwǎng Yàlìshāndà gǎng de yī sōu hújiāo chuán, duìyìng yùnwǎng zhè Cìtóng gǎng de zú yǒu yībǎi sōu zhī duō!)Genoa Prison & Venice, Italy (意大利热那亚监狱与威尼斯 (百万传奇)) - Age 44
Historic maritime prison where The Travels of Marco Polo was dictated, Italy
I Have Not Told Half of What I Saw
Captured by Genoese forces during a sea battle. In prison, Marco dictated his adventures to romance writer Rustichello of Pisa. On his deathbed in Venice, when urged to recant his 'wild exaggerations', he declared: 'I did not tell half of what I saw.'
I have not told half of what I saw, because no one would have believed me.
我连我亲眼所见的一半都未曾说出，因为说了也不会有人肯信！ (Wǒ lián wǒ qīnyǎn suǒ jiàn de yībàn dōu wèicéng shuōchū, yīnwèi shuō le yě bù huì yǒurén kěn xìn!)
