Travels of Marco Polo
Venetian Marco Polo remains a prominent figure in the history of exchange between the Chinese and Western civilizations. In 1271, 17-year-old Marco Polo and his parents traveled along the Silk Road in Central Asia to Dadu of Yuan (present-day Beijing). He ended up staying in China for 17 years. Marco Polo gave oral accounts of his travels in China and some other Asian countries, which Rustichello da Pisa documented and compiled into the Travels of Marco Polo. The book focused on local products, fairs, folk customs, and anecdotes experienced in places he traveled during the rule of Kublai Khan. They also contained accounts of Japan, Southeast Asia, and India.
The Travels of Marco Polo was the first travelogue to offer a comprehensive and in-depth account of China. A milestone work in terms of informing the West about China, it set off the first wave of "Chinoiserie." As a vanguard of cultural exchange between China and the West, Marco Polo became an esteemed figure, and the travelogue became highly sought-after among later generations. The book brought hope to Medieval Europe and catalyzed the discovery of new sea routes to the East.
《馬可·波羅游記》
意大利人馬可·波羅是中西文明交流史中的重要人物。1271年，17歲的馬可·波羅隨父輩從中亞的陸上絲綢之路抵達元大都（今北京），并在中國生活了17年。馬可·波羅依據在中國和亞洲各國的游歷見聞，口述了周游東方的故事，由魯斯蒂謙記錄并寫成《馬可·波羅游記》。游記重點記述了忽必烈統治時期元朝各地的物產市集、風土人情、奇聞軼事等，還記錄了日本、東南亞、印度等地的情況。
《馬可·波羅游記》是第一部全面、深入介紹中國的游記，是西方認識中國歷程中里程碑性的著作，掀起了歷史上第一次西方“中國熱”。作為中西文化交流的先驅，馬可·波羅和《馬可·波羅游記》一直為后人所追隨，為中世紀的歐洲帶去了希望，也對日后新航路的開辟產生了巨大影響。
