A map of Marco Polo's route to and from China. In the 13th
century, a young Venetian named Marco Polo set out with his
father and uncle on a great adventure. Following a series of
trade routes, they traveled across the vast continent of Asia
and became the first Europeans to visit the Chinese capital
(modern Beijing). Marco so impressed the reigning emperor of
China, Kublai Khan, that he was appointed to the imperial court.
For the next 17 years, Marco was sent on missions to many parts
of Kublai's sprawling empire. The Polos finally returned to
Venice via the sea route. Marco later wrote a book about his
experiences, which inspired new generations of explorers to
travel to the exotic lands of the East. Read through the entire
lesson plan and become familiar with the content and resources.
Bookmark relevant websites for later reference. Marco Polo was
on the last leg of his journey home from China to Venice. After
visiting several seaports in India, he and his party sailed
across the Arabian Sea and to the mo