Marco Polo Travels to China

Marco Polo set out for Asia in 1271 at the age of seventeen with his father and uncle, who had already travelled through Asia and met Kublai Khan, and they travelled the Silk Road to the court of Kublai Khan. He served Kublai Khan as a foreign emissary and lived in the emperor's lands for 17 years, though some scholars believe he exaggerated his importance in China. While imprisoned by the Genoese he dictated stories of his travels to Rustichello da Pisa, a cellmate, and the resulting book gave Europeans their first detailed look into China, Persia, India, Japan and other Asian societies. His narrative inspired Christopher Columbus and many other travellers.