Marco Polo described his journey to Yuan China in the book known as The Travels of Marco Polo.
Polo was a Venetian merchant and traveler who, according to his account, traveled through Asia with his father and uncle. He is traditionally said to have reached the court of Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler of China, and to have spent years in the Yuan realm before returning to Venice.
His narrative was recorded in prison with Rustichello of Pisa and circulated under several titles and manuscript versions. It described cities, court practices, trade goods, currencies, and geographic features that fascinated European readers.
The book’s details are valuable, but some claims remain debated, and Polo’s text is not a modern travel diary. He may have omitted or misunderstood some experiences. Even so, the work became one of medieval Europe’s most influential accounts of Asia and helped shape later European ideas about the Silk Road world.