Marco Polo Influence On American Culture

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Venice, Italy native, Marco Polo, is the most famous western traveler to travel to China during the time of the Khan. In China, he worked under Qubilai Khan for many years and wrote about his experience upon his return to Europe. Polo’s travels and writings were crucial for the time period. During and after his work under Khan, there was an increase in connection between Europe and China, from the Mongol Empire. Marco Polo discoveries and relationship with Qubliai Khan help establish the importance of sedentary civilization and the link between European and Chinese global history. The mongols, people of the steppe, were avid hunters. As a person of the steppe, they needed to learn how to live of the land and hunt for their own food. Since …show more content…

Polo fell in love with the Quinsai’s architecture and location. He highlights the cities size, alongside side the idealistic location between a freshwater lake and river (Marco, 134). Not only did Polo find the size and location to be impressive, he also thought Quinsai had beautiful architecture. He notes the beautiful main street, buildings, and 12,000 bridges (Marco, 134-35). With the impressive city of Quinsai, Polo also grew to find the Chinese city life very impressive. Polo found the merchants of the city to be especially fascinating, giving high remarks to merchants and cuisine (Marco, 135-36). I find this especially important because Marco Polo was able to bring this back to his home and incorporate it into the European …show more content…

Quibilai was born a Mongol. He was a person of the steppe, he lived off the land and hunted. Most importantly, Quibilai set victory in North China, where he learned to adapt to the sedentary culture. He “oversaw the transformation of steppe conquerors to sedentary rulers in China (Lane, 85). With this, Quiiblai expected the Chinese culture and was open to change. He was open to the facilitation of trade and religion, while keeping in mind his Mongolian heritage. He paved the way for the Mongols to “sown the seeds of a multicultural society” (Lane,

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