The Secret File of Marco Polo - Marco Polo in China - Full Historical Documentary

Did Marco Polo, the most illustrious traveler in history, ever go to China? A dispute lingers to this day; with some scholars still doubting whether the Venetian’s book is a genuine personal account of China’s 13th-century Middle Kingdom and its marvels. Scientists, western scholars, and Chinese historians have uncovered striking new proof that the son of Venetian merchants actually had been in China. This is a journey of opulent vistas, re-enacting Marco Polo’s experiences in 13th-century China and sheds light on the pivotal role, played by an obscure writer of chivalric novels, in producing the manuscript of the Travels of Marco Polo.
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[@edgarsnake2857]

Great stuff. MP was a hero to me when I was a kid. The accounts of the court of Kublai Khan were so dazzling that I doubted they could be true. Once I saw the treasures of Egypt, and Topkapi palace in Istanbul, and other wondrous things and places, I became more inclined to believe the traveler's stories.

[@heather-vs9qe]

Yes l agree...staggering accounts of Polo...he should be revered..and acknowledge 🎉🎉

[@toddforhetz]

I like playing Marco Polo, when swimming !!!

[@jamesl9371]

As he said he only told half of what he saw. I’ve lived in China and I can relate. It’s so amazing

[@kaloarepo288]

Ibn Battuta was a famous Moroccan traveler who lived nearly a century after Marco Polo but traveled 3 times the distance that Marco Polo did and left detailed accounts of his perigrinations.However, as with the Polos,some historians doubt that all the accounts are by Ibn Battuta and that 2/3 others were involved and all the travels were later attributed to one person.Battuta,aged about 21 went on the Mecca hajj but then decided to continue on and on and wandered for about 18 years that took him to China,India,Indonesia and deep down into Africa.

[@michaeltelson9798]

I found a certain arrogance in Ibn Battuta’s account. He puts himself above his co-religious peoples who grant him position and wealth. As a Moroccan Arab he is considered a well educated member of their mutual society. There is similarities to his depictions of other people like the unedited version of Sir Richard Frances Burton’s translation of “1001 Arabian Nights”.

[@kamelryke31]

@@michaeltelson9798 He was a Berber by the way.

[@ishratfirdousi7182]

@@michaeltelson9798 This film tries to 'prove' Marco's tall tales. Of course everything 'falls into place'. The braggart.

[@borneandayak6725]

@@ishratfirdousi7182 and this film prove it.

[@virgiljjacas1229]

Correct. Him as many others before and after, did collected events and information from copies that have been revise over and over. Same analogy with Leonardo and " his inventions". Only in paper BUT never built 🤔🤔🤔 Perhaps he obtain books and manuscripts from the Venetian.

[@LuisAldamiz]

Excellent documentary, TY. It shows very clearly that Marco Polo's journey is not just plausible but almost impossible to reject anymore. One wonders how many people, not just in Italy but also elsewhere is now descendant from that traveler gentleman.

[@seabedpebbles]

Yeah! Can't believe they even attempted cancelling Marco Polo. LOL. #nicetrychurch

[@themaskedman221]

@@seabedpebbles Yeah, no they didn't.

[@stefangabor5985]

Spot on!

[@JasMine-bl3hs]

​@@seabedpebbles8

[@jackamt4351]

Excellent! Thank you for posting the video.

[@Xylo58]

It’s my belief that the researchers who look to discredit MP claims are simply living off the good graces of tax payers, continuously nit picking for the minutest inconsistencies of an account written over 700 years that have been translated and amended too numerous times to count. So long as they can create doubts they can keep their jobs. Read Laurence Bergreen’s book “Marco Polo, From Venice to Xanadu”, for a fair and balanced account of MP’s travels.

[@okmmauh]

I find this documentary series is loose with the truth. It creates convenient stories mixed with a bit of history

[@user-4m9-dr80h4]

@@okmmauh The German sinologist has been there, done that (like Polo), whereas the Briton is holed up in her armchair.

[@hmj1116]

I'm glad to learn more of Marco Polo trip to China We have been to China many times from Shanghai to Shandong and to far south Hainan island!

[@LichsuhoathinhDrabattle]

Informative, nuanced and amazing narration. Keep up the amazing work! 💗🤞✨

[@lablackzed]

A time when exploration was an adventure of magnificence and mystery.

[@mplagg7229]

just finished "the travels" and im fascinated. great video that only makes me more interested!

[@anangs120]

Terimakasih. Informasi yang bagus dan menarik.

[@hvermout4248]

Mandeville, Ruysbroeck, Odoric of Pordenone, Ibn Battuta. Several Middle Agers traveled to the Far East. Why doubt the story of Marco Polo?

[@kaloarepo288]

Like I said in my post critics now doubt that Ibn Battuta actually traveled to all those areas as claimed in the writings -there were probably others involved that got lumped together.

[@nathanprentice7230]

Publicity

[@liammcardle1837]

gend z

[@Diana-ek7xs]

You are just jealous that a Venetian visited China is brought so much progress to Europe if he was an Englishman everything was ok

[@jeffalanvasconcellos3039]

Fascinating & enriching documentary in deed!

[@wintkyaw7576]

Thank you. Great documentry.

[@Rushopium]

Amazing talent , and a young promising boy ! ❤

[@lolitaguittapbelen9456]

Thank U, for this documentary story of Marco Polo, for only I learned in History w/o description & illustration on How Marco Polos travel be gin & How it ends..for only Now I see the journey of his travel at the Video Film.. & illustrated by a Famous story teller.. thanx to the manuscript studied by the Scholars & Historians...👍❤ in account to understand all the text of the book.. ❤👍

[@chris.asi_romeo]

Excellent documentary

[@kennethfox1586]

Wonderful channel and voice of the narration

[@sheilabatey492]

Absolutely excellent viewing.

[@sharonholdren7588]

Really appreciate your transcript in the Description.

[@rainfieldmusic]

Excellent documentary. Fascinating

[@get.factual]

Many thanks!

[@ZOOOOtv]

The other half of the story is: chopsticks, the Great Wall, New Year's fireworks, Dunhuang, pandas, Stargazing Pavilion... Because it is too miraculous, no one will believe it.😮‍💨 Marco Polo is a great traveler👍

[@marcobelli6856]

Also the great wall wasn’t there at the time of Polo. Just small unconnected pieces of different materials. It was united and became the Great wall in the 16th century. Of course he wouldn’t mention it

[@78asasou]

Exellent!!!

[@rickyestes]

When in Taizhou Jiangsu I was visiting a local museum and in it was a letter written in Chinese but translated into English. I went something like ‘Taizhou is a nice quiet town, I enjoyed my stay here. Marco Polo’. Taizhou was a center for silk production in the time frame of Marco Polo’s era. I don’t know if it was authentic, but the locals did.

[@leezhieng]

Probably not authentic. Marco Polo said he was a governor of Yangzhou for "many years" but yet none of the historical records from Chinese side have any record of him. Chinese record everything since ancient time, we can easily list out all the names of every governor of Yangzhou during that timeframe but no one called Marco Polo or anything remotely close to that. Strangely, Marco Polo also used the Persian name of the chinese cities in his book. That is even stranger considering he's been living in China for many many years and even a governor of Yangzhou.

[@oolight]

Taizhou was part of Yangzhou in Yuan Dynasty when Marco Polo visited.

[@commentorsilensor3734]

So far, there are no Chinese records proved Marco was the governor of Taizhou. Many Chinese tourist area recreates the artifacts to attract tourists n money. For example, I went to Xian. The tour group took us to Hua Qing bathing palace. It was famous because famous empress Yang in Tang Dynasty took shower in this palace. The problem is tyranny burned n destroyed the Xian city including this palace in 904. Oh, the site did say recreated in 2001 in Chinese n English. There are plenty of tourist sites like this do this. At this this site mentioned it was built in 2001. Others don't bother to label. There are many tourist sites n say there were birth places of fictional characters. There is even a building where those fictional characters dined. There is a cemetery site that buried fictional magical monkey. Those sites will show you all the proof. Taizhou is not famous on anything. To boost economy, it uses Marco Polo. Unfortunately, there are no evidences, so it fabricated evidences.

[@erikjohnson9223]

I found quibbling over his silence on the contents of the Dunhuang caverns to be stupidly anachronistic. All that stuff was indoors / underground. Although some Manichee stuff might have been mixed in, it was almost all Buddhist (thus, from a Muslim perspective , the idols of "devil worshipping polytheists"). From Polo's own account it was clear that the oasis had already fallen under Muslim control or at least was subject to constant incursion by Islamic merchants &/or armies. Such people are notorious iconoclasts, well known for considering it a holy act to deface or destroy religious images and statuary belonging to other religions. The Buddhists etc would have buried their art (obscuring cave doors etc) before fleeing the area if they knew Muslim control was nigh. That is why the art was preserved into the 20th century. When archeologists found the grottos, they were not in active use. The Turpan (eastern) Uyghur state (which was Buddhist at a time when steppe principalities including more western Uyghur populations had already islamized) fell to jihad in the Kara Khitan (pre Mongol) period, long before Marco Polo, and the inhabitants knew it was coming.

[@renatosassone-corsi1042]

Excellent,thanks

[@luisrobles0453]

This was a great documentary, but I wish it had been a little more detailed and judging on this one a full doc would take a couple of hours. I believe in Marco’s story and wish I could have been their with him. I am going to purchase his book. RIP Marco Polo, I believe you.

[@luisrobles0453]

@@Endgame707 Oh yes, a name like Marco Polo really sounds like a turk!

[@janefromcanada6943]

great video!

[@ShakeOneOfficial]

World famous Muslim traveller Ibn Battuta from Morocco travelled to China through north Africa Arabia, Caucuses, Persia, Central Asia, India and Bangladesh Sylhet. Where he met shah jalal founder of Islam in Bangladesh. He was granted passage through each territory when he worked as a scholar and judge. Every land he passed through had government records of his arrival and departure proper receipts proving he had been to these lands.

[@RP-mm9ie]

well done

[@patriciapalmer1377]

That sly minx. Write a book negating Polo to cause people to investigate and in turn, they will be studying. She just explained her real mission and it had nothing to do with him.

[@patriciajrs46]

Exactly. I noticed that.

[@christopherhoyt7195]

Actually, she said, "That's what I wanted to do, bring China to the West." Yes and cash in personally for doing it by writing a book. Marco couldn't have gone there, because then I can't get the credit for enlightening the Western world. How does she account for Polo knowing so much detail that has been corroborated by modern scholars collaboratively? By hypothesizing that Polo just so happened to have the necessary series of encounters with different people in Constantinople that all form a continuos path to and througout Asia hitting all the notable sights that locals would have mentioned and everyone he encountered also provided the most minute of details. That is to say every story teller Marco Polo drank with in bars was a real Marco Polo. Please. A long prison stretch with a great story teller with a keen eye for detail converying his experiences to pass the endless hours on to an author is actually more plausible. The great thing about denier theories is that one can spin them up solo, and sell them in a book to the masses at a very low personal financial cost and potentially high profit. But when you publicly display your ignorance or worse, try to leverage a readership's ignorance. about the phases of construction of the Great Wall of China, which in Polo's time was really the "Mediocre Wall of China" just mounds of clay, that's about how high your credibility stacks up.

[@alainzayan9657]

@@christopherhoyt7195 Fully agreed : he did not have enough of a lifetime in constantinople, full time, trying to collect all that information!. And all those details. Even more at a time when so few people were going there. I went to Dunhuang, the caves are 30 km of the city or so. Not by the town. And they have been sealed for centuries .

[@Joeherman]

Impressive documentary. I am curious how such quality productions make their way to KZbin. Did this film first appear on television in the UK?

[@namthomson1124]

Thanks

[@mikepeterson443]

Wherever there's a swimming pool, Marco Polo shall visit.

[@mbirdmann1866]

Marco polo in fact never owned a pool. Such a waste. Sad.

[@kaloarepo288]

Polo is simply the Venetian version of the first name "Paul"

[@tashuntka]

I think they missed your inference sir, lol...

[@angietyndall7337]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣!!

[@mikepeterson443]

@@tashuntka It's my weird sense of humor. I'm often misunderstood.

[@colinbrigham8253]

Thank you 😊

[@get.factual]

You're welcome 😊

[@tadcotadco6344]

the answer to the question - why Marco Polo did not mention paper money and bookprinting - in his own words that he did not tell half of what he saw, because they would not have believed it. Indeed, who in 13th-century's Europe of gold and silver would have believed that someone would trade goods for paper or tree skin (= for nothing)? Or in the Europe manuscripts on the skins of animals who would have believed that you can print books on paper? The paper itself was not known to Europeans. Gunpowder is from the same series

[@aticofilia4288]

There was already paper being produced in europe in the last years of the 13th century, at the time of marco polo. Look for fabriano paper.

[@tadcotadco6344]

@@aticofilia4288 Yep, the appearance of Arabian сalifate and Mongolian empire contributed to the flow of knowledge from East to West. Moreover, the Arabs were not the creators of this knowledge, but the carriers-transporters of Indian, Persian and Chinese inventions. So from the Arabs besieging the port Ancona and captured the Italians learned the existence of paper and the secret of its preparation (animal gelatin + cotton fibers). That is, you are right - the secret of paper had already penetrated into Italy several decades before the birth of Polo, having passed the path China-Samarkand-Baghdad-Ancona-Fabriano, and the enterprising residents of the city of Fabriano set up its production becoming famous cartiers in whole Europe. Anyhow, till inventing using of wood fiber for paper production the cotton paper not was a cheap thing accessible to everyone.

[@dhanjeepandey4252]

Great....❤❤❤❤❤....

[@tashuntka]

Thank you for a wonderful evening supper's entertainment. A fine distraction from our current state of affairs 👍🙏👍🤠

[@get.factual]

Our pleasure!

[@tyriq7328]

Paper money was used in Mongolia before Europe ever adopted it

[@nurhirabe9370]

Very interesting to know the great Kublai khan hired MP as a tax collector expert - the chief tax collector! - in the 13 century! A guy who could not write his own story! Nice work!

[@timgallagher1041]

It seems to me that his father and uncle were the real pioneers

[@Milen983]

Tatars and mongols, in fact, are different ethnicities. Mongols weren’t called tatars, their invasion is called tatar-mongolian invasion, as they were different. Tatars still live in their autonomic republic in Russian Federation nowadays. They have their language and culture and are related ethnicity to turks.

[@Endgame707]

Marco Polo Was An Alien 👽

[@user-px2sn8pr5t]

I have seen Sicilian dishes (food) very specialized in NE China ~Jilin. How is that possible unless someone brought it there. or back

[@v-gc7257]

Interesting about Marco Polo. Wow.

[@emmanuelalexboatengadjei1646]

I wonder why Frances Wood think because Marco polo use an unusual rout in his travels, the journey may not be real. She seams to be disregarding that fact that traveling on horseback in the 12th century was prone to attack and it rather make sense for Marco polo to use an unusual route to prevent such attacks. There could be reports on issues of security which will inform their decision use certain routes. I think she should look at it from different perspective and she will understand the flaws in her argument better

[@Jcib2421]

Are there time-stamp breakdowns of the various topics explored in the video?

[@domquixote56]

Brilhant!

[@nyax4361]

a fascinating documentary. I knew there were people doubting him, and didn't expect that his extremely detailed records would make it right one day. It's very interesting that if he arrived in China decades earlier or later at the age of Song and Jin or Ming dynasty, then he would never be offered an official post. An empirial government with civil or military officers from all over the world, that kind of thing in China were only in Yuan (Mongols) and Tang dynasties.

[@wenliu9571]

This is one explanation. The Tang and yuan Dynasties were more open, with officials of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. If he had arrived in China at any time between the two Dynasties, the chances of a traveler from a lonely wandering country getting a government position without special background and contribution were almost zero. Unless it is an official institution of scholarly historical research and record, he is more likely to be accepted, and if so, his exposure to things and stories will not be limited to fragmentary street stories and life scenes.

[@NormanF62]

Marco Polo in our time, would have made a superb vlogger. People didn’t believe him because he couldn’t show them he had actually been there. His account is one of the greatest adventures of all time and he opened the world to Europeans. That remains his legacy.

[@azlanameer4912]

The narrator has missed a big refrence. Qublai Khan ordered to invade Japan. We find a detailed plan in Morcopolo's accounts. Marco Polo had even suggested to Qublai not to invade Japan.

[@daveoliver5838]

Young Marco was a mere explorer/traveller not a military strategist. Why would he be allowed to get close to great Qublai Khan and to suggest to him not to invade Japan, it doesn’t make sense ?

[@CirugiadeMano]

May i suggest to all people interested in Marco Polo the book " the journeyer" written by the late Gary Jennings...I am pretty sure you will enjoyed it...😀👍👍

[@Earthbound369]

I didn't know Robert Plant was a historian. Rock on 🤘

[@peterxd3610]

the scholars of the time did not want to accept that they still had much to learn about other contours

[@NormanF62]

There is Benjamin of Tudela, a Jewish medieval traveler who traveled as far as India and his description of various Jewish communities he encountered in his travels are credible because he saw them with his own eyes.

[@Siska0Robert]

I like how this documentary presents Wood's arguments and then immediately destroys them.

[@52beautifulmind]

The biggest question for me is why MP didn’t mention the gruesome massacres Mongols did in China as he was there at the time, loads of Chinese records of them and also other foreign visitors' accounts. Quote from Quora “ Goryeo ambassador to Yuan who visited the Yuan emperor in China three years after the conquest of Song travelled through Southern China on the way to back to Korea by boat. He commented that there were six empty houses for every occupied house and at night you could hear people’s cries for dead loved ones from every where. So thorough was the Mongol’s destruction and killing that it was difficult for the ambassador to find Southern Chinese men or women older than 20. Starving people and dead bodies everywhere and abandoned farm lands as far as the eyes can see and the sky was filled with clouds of crows.”

[@Do-not-be-sheep]

"paper" money was introduced by the Templars in the 11 century. Travellers to the holy land would deposit their money at any one of their fortified churches and then would be given a document that could be fully or partially redeemed at anyone of their banks. It was a method for protecting travellers from robbers and helped to build the wealth of the templars. This is where Mongols got their idea.

[@cestmoi1262]

18:00 The caves are world famous (personally, never heard of them until now and I'm four score years old). By the same token I live 25 miles away from Ybor City and in 40 years have never been there. Keep in mind that Marco stated that he had not accounted for half of what he had seen so shouldn't there be something missing in his narrative?

[@pilzj3263]

I was told there’s no mentioning of tea and chopsticks in his records, very weird though.

[@baberoot1998]

@32:33...I had no idea, Robert Plant, could speak German, nor did I know he was so involved in the history of Marco Polo.

[@hvermout4248]

Well, of course Marco Polo couldn't possibly have been in China: he wasn't British enough.

[@daveedwards7366]

I can empathize with Marco on his deathbed saying saying that he had only spoke of half of what he had seen for fear of not being believed is the same as I feel about 30yrs of taxi driving (particularly nights) nobody would believe the things I have seen, lol

[@hanzocloud]

What have you seen? I’ll believe u

[@teapott-caddyman]

I was a cabbie in the 70's, I saw a few sights to.

[@DS-us1vi]

Dw mate - I think life is like this for a lot of us. They look down at us for whatever reason. Reality is that they don't listen to you because they are prejudiced so stopped caring the moment you came in their vicinity in my experience.

[@kambel3607]

C'est purement et simplement une légende, l'histoire de Marco Polo n'a jamais exister. pour faire un tél voyage à cet époque là, il lui faut un grand bataillon pour sa sécurité , et minimum 25 tonne d'Or pour ces dépenses personnelles. d'après les écritures, MP est passé partout en même temps, les histoires de ces différents peuples n'on jamais entendu parler de lui. Alors arrêter de nous faire avaler des couleuvres. les mensonges ne passeront plus de nos jours , mais continuer de rêver, il n'est pas interdit.

[@edmundcharles5278]

A great documentary which leads me to believe that MP did visit Cathay ) China).

[@colinbateman8233]

It’s fascinating to hear this account of the travels of the pollos I’m sure a little fabrication a long the way only adds to the excitement

[@okmmauh]

Venetian Empire lives on

[@daveoliver5838]

City of London, British Empire, French and German Empires.

[@ordyhorizonrivieredunord712]

Who brought the noodle recipe to Italia for them to invent pasta?

[@kennethfox1586]

People were so jealous of Marco. Was he provided an interpreter

[@DwayneShaw1]

I like to think Polo actually went to China. But everything in the book could have been told to Polo in the same way, and for the same reasons, Polo told them to Rustichello (who almost certainly added, and subtracted, from the narrative to some degree). Those that have an interest in Polo should check out "The Journeyer" by Gary Jennings (historical fiction, 'the half he didn't tell')

[@sergiol.aponte13]

It is interesting to me how the detractors focus on what he doesn't mention, as a proof of not been true. It reminds me of movies where humans never go to the restroom... And they make a passing mention to been careful what they write due to possibly offending the church of the time. I would think this weight heavily on their minds, as the church on those times could be quite forceful. While Polo might not have had an issue with Buddhism, I have to think he had to be careful on not presenting it to the point of infuriating the Catholic church and be branded a heretic.

[@joebombero1]

There is no mention of chopsticks. It just seems so odd to omit this detail.

[@flynspaceball6445]

If only Marco had an iPhone 13…

[@davidtownsend6092]

He made it theres lots of proof and doubters were silencedcenturies ago. There saved ya 50 min

[@txiabneeb]

Life's reality. One's very own do not cherish one's work until it's been spun around the world many times over. Such tactic is employed with many universities here in the US where they don't hire their own graduate. Instead let the graduate be employed somewhere else and if s/he made it, then invite her/him back.

[@gaiamagna9156]

The truth is always true whether one believes or not....

[@blackbird5634]

Doesn't this show begin with Marco confessing that he has ''only told half of what he knows?" So why are omissions a problem? I have traveled thousands of miles around the United States many of them hitchhiking, many more of them by car, train and airplane, in 57 years I have been on 4 continents, and met hundreds of people. The amount that I'm able to remember even with concentration and effort is threadbare compared to what's out there swimming in the fog of my mind. 🙃 I won't bore you all with the details, but driving through Memphis Tennessee I saw a glass pyramid by the river. Out of the dozens of times I drove past it over the decades I am mentioning it now for the very first time. I suspect Marco's mind worked the same way. And having a biographer jailed up there with him must have been both a burden and a blessing. The two surely created a little mystique and magic along the way, otherwise the book wouldn't have sold.🥰

[@annepoitrineau5650]

So, I mean: it is very possible that he went there and saw all that, but also very possible that he and his companions were hardly noticed. Moreover, these countries were visited by other exotic people from India etc, so a couple more might not have registered at all. It seems to me that looking for traces of Marco Polo in local writings is not realistic. Are the other "exotic" visitors that we know were there much mentioned? That would be an interesting quest.

[@marcobelli6856]

Yes exactly people always say “Chinese wrote everything” but I doubt they have a list of all random merchants that got in the Silk roads since a lot of Arabs and Indians and later other Europeans would come let alone write his name. Also there must have been millions in the decades who travelled the silk roads I doubt they have a 800 years old mongolian books with all the names but Polo not mentioned hahaha

[@PdirceuPedro]

He was a historian teller nothing else!

[@josephwolosz2522]

I haven't read the book,but it sounds like Marco Polo was a businessman rather than an explorer. Notice his notation about paper money. He was determined to open trade or at least establish relations with the east.

[@nasirjones7666]

When you travel for 25 years, yes you are a traveler

[@dennisloren1568]

Marco Polo brought back knowledge of making Chinese noodles or what Italians called Spagetti.

[@arichis]

Please stop repeating this myth. A fresh product called "laganum" existed in ancient Italy since the time of the Greeks and Etruscans. It consisted of a flour water mixture which has been cut into strips. The Roman poet Horace mentions this dish in his writings.

[@maivveatherjr9821]

​@@arichisyour claim I more a myth as it's zero proof, another eurocentric western hoax. Pasta in Italy is not ancient, it's flourish during renaissance period 14 century AD, while noodle is a pasta version in Asia as it's ingredients is similar Chinese pasta is 1700 BC. The most accepted theory is via legendary silk road or brought by Arab traders...

[@buddhidev7877]

Indian, Chinese and other Asians connected each other for quite long time. This means also the Persian and Turkm I wonder why the European now are so excited that the west met the east using the traditional chain of local merchant routes to the capital of Yuan empire.

[@mohammadnaz1828]

Thank you for information about Marco Polo. But I more believe more in Ibn Battuta than him. From London, England

[@beataplaya]

Polo's visit to the East gave the glimpse of wonders to the Western world to which they surely acted upon.

[@normantsul9790]

the travel of Marco Polo was indeed beautiful. However it did not stand up to simple facts. Or people just believe it without questioning. I argue from basic history, geography and politics. Prisoners in ancient time did not live in Four Seasons Hotel. They were not free people to enjoy a cup of coffee in comfortable and well-lighted café and to meet interesting people. Ancient dungeons were place of hell. There were no human rights. Suffering and punishment were daily routines. Inspired to write in a prison cell in the face of hunger, fear, inflicted wounds? Come on! Just grab pen and paper to record a travelogue in a dark and filthy prison cell? There were no such thing even if you were a free person (many people were slaves, the lowest of the society). Writing instrument and writing media were in the hands of clergy and royalty, and it meant to be expensive and out of reach from the common crowd. Traders and merchants were considered the lower end of ancient society - most likely to be illiterate and major portion of the population was unable to read and write. A scholar in a prison cell? To publish a story for people to read? Who could read it as most people cannot read. Perhaps the most well-known publication was the Gutenberg Bible (1450) which was about 200 years later. It was for the exclusive use of clergy and the church. It was not for the common folks. Most people could barely afford the daily items such as food and clothing. Spare money to buy a book? Geography - a simple walk-through. A traveler from Europe would most likely to go to Constantinople. From there, a possible land route was to climb the Caucasus mountains. Then the choice of heading north (the Pamirs) or south (the Himalayas) where a traveler would ascend peaks over 7000 meters. It was an extremely dangerous feat. If the traveler were not dead yet from falling rocks and avalanche of snow. The traveler would immediately descend into the Taklamakan Desert (meaning once you get in, you never get out). Well, needless to say, the traveler ought to be in the embrace of Hades. But of course, a traveler of means could bribe Hades and Cerberus (the 3-headed doggy of hell) and rose again on good earth. And China proper was beyond the Gobi Desert where strong gale howled like demons. Besides these natural hazards, there were gangs of robbers and vice to welcome travelers. They were not exactly nice and hospitable people. Their occupation was to rip travelers of their fortune and even to kill. These bring out the paramount fact of the Silk Road. Merchants traded with neighboring merchants. So goods traveled from trading post to another trading post(relatively short distance). There were no Fedex or DHL for express delivery. As a trader on the Silk Road, it would not be gainful to travel the full length of the passage because a large inventory of merchandise would have to transported and the effort and time could not be justified. Cathay was known in the time of Rome. Julius Caesar and fellow senators liked to dress in silk and it was very expensive in Rome because silk had passed the hands of countless merchants. The stories from the East must be talk of the town. It was alleged that Marco Polo served in the court of Kublai Khan. It was said that he served as governor of the city of Hangchow. How did he communicate with the Chinese people? How he gave orders, instructions? It is a known fact that learning Chinese is difficult for westerners. Sometimes it is difficult for Chinese people let alone foreigners. The Chinese writing system is totally different. Some said that Marco Polo was a polyglot. Ok. The chip is down that he was not conversant in Chinese. Yangchow was a major trading and financial center in China. Officials were often an extension of inner circle of the rich and power-brokers. A person from another world? It does not make sense anywhere in the real world, historical or current politics. It was a record of history that Moguls ruled China by a regime of suppressing the Han Chinese. There was no reason to believe that other foreign nationals were well-received. It was another record of history that foreigners were segregated and under surveillance in ancient kingdoms of China. To enter into the ranks of government administration, even the lowest ranks, there were a lot of exams to pass. To say the least, it was difficult. How could a foreigner enter the imperial service albeit illiterate and without knowledge of Chinese culture and daily practice. What talent or special ability did Mr. Polo possessed to attract the attention of the heavenly emperor? There were none. Such side of logical argument could be expanded further. But the above are certainly enough to discount the story of Marco Polo.

[@OldieBugger]

Tibet at that time would've been the happiest place to stay for a while before travelling on, depending on the price of the trinkets, ofc. As a young man i'd bargained for a dozen, in my current age I'd settle for a few.

[@TD402dd]

Marco Polo had too much information about the places he visited for it not to be truthful. After all, it was Marco Polo who opened the silk road for trade between Asia and Europe.

[@annepoitrineau5650]

Considering the importance the Chinese emperors attributed to themselves, and the lack of respect Chinese culture felt for other cultures, I do not think that Marco Polo's presence in China/Mongolia would have made much of an impact on them. On the other hand, I am convinced that Marco Polo had to enhance his own status in these countries as he was hoping to get privileges and become an emissary.

[@challopea]

Marlo Polo was the Salt official in Yangzhou. That’s as much as a personal favorite of a Chinese emperor can become

[@n.c9653]

Actually imperial China had great respect for the Roman Empire over a thousand years before Marco Polos time although it seems they didn't actually meet . And to a lesser extent, the Arabs and Indians.

[@roh-mj6em]

​@@n.c9653where is evidence of it. I think they have the most respect towards india as they got Buddhism from there.

[@52beautifulmind]

Chinese people have always been debating on whether the Yuan (1271-1368) and Qing dynasties ( 1636-1912) can be considered "Chinese dynasties", and whether they were representative of "China" during the respective historical periods.

[@josephhruby3225]

Next episode . . . I question my own existence

[@tashuntka]

Nice... I'll quote that later 👍

[@vincentconti-jb3hd]

The secret file!!?? Shocking!!!!!

[@reecesitu843]

In fact he actually had been to China before 🇨🇳.

[@user-ep1rm5ex7i]

😅😅

[@52beautifulmind]

Frances Wood needs to learn more about Chinese history before questioning MP's travel in China.

[@carloschu7127]

Ibn Batutta will have an insteresting conversation with Marco Polo , had these two people meet together.

[@tadcotadco6344]

I think it would be appropriate to mention that the first documented contact between China and Western Europe occurred in the 1st century AD, when the Chinese came to Rome through the Persian Empire for fire eaters.

[@marcobelli6856]

In the empire border or to Rome the city??? Crazy if it is the city

[@tadcotadco6344]

@@marcobelli6856 of course, Rome city. They met the Emperor and complained that the Parthian empire obstructs contacts between Rome and Han empire. But, the Romans too explored the Far East at Mark Aurelius. Roman coins of 2nd century BC are found in Vietnam and even Japan. The old Chinese chronicles report arrival of Roman ships to the place in Vietnam where the coins are indeed found in XX century. Actually, the modern vison of the ancient world is totally false in everything, including geography and communications between ancient nations. E.g, I saw bas-reliefы depicting pineapple in Pompei while it's an endemic of Brasil. The Roman sources clearly stated that the Phoenicians were regularly bringing exotic fruits from "an huge island located far behind the Pillars of Hercules. There are plenty Phoenician inscriptions found everywhere around Mexican gulf, including Texas

[@annepoitrineau5650]

Marco Polo sounds in fact like a detail loving bureaucrat...

[@toliu4u]

What is the dispute on? Chinese sources confirmed Marco Polo's venture. Why should we pay any attention to the British source which is under Roman Empire controls at that time?

[@radhesyamaji]

❤❤❤

[@heather-vs9qe]

I believe that Marco Polo, visited the Far East, for Example look at the Queen of England it's hard to fathom that slavery lasted so long, and the wealth extracted, its overwhelming. Italians gains alot from the Far East...no doubt. Chinese the Han dynasty very clever people, like the Eyptians. After his accounts, Christopher Columbus followed suit...tracing Polo's accounts..