Marco Polo

Here is a picture of Marco Polo, who lived from 1254 to 1324. Of course, no one knows what he really looked like. But this is a picture often published.



And here is a route map that shows, roughly, the route he took when he traveled overland from his home in Venice to the capital of the Mongol Empire, Cambaluc (Beijing) and by sea back home. He left home at the age of 17 and arrived in China at the age of 21. He stayed till the age of 38 and returned home at 41.

And here is the Marco Polo bridge, outside of Beijing. Marco described it in detail, and you can visit it today, although it was rebuilt.