Marco Polo's life started in Venice, Italy, 1254. His father was a merchant, as was his uncle. Marco Polo wished to follow the footsteps of his father.
So, one day, in 1270, when Marco Polo was seventeen, he went to China. He was accompanied by Niccolo Polo (his father) and Maffeo Polo (his uncle). They were following the silk road, which went to China.
The silk road consisted of a number of trading routes and trading posts. Few people used it, though. For it had many hazards. Although, the prizes were rich if you survived unharmed. There were many treasures in China that could be earned through trading, such as valuable spices, silk and gold.
First of all, the silk road spanned for miles on end. The desert that it passed through was hot and dry, as deserts will be. The hilly paths and the heavy winds made it so that you could easily lose your footing. Dangerous animals live near it, along with many other poisonous creatures. On top of all of that, bandits would camp out along in, lying in wait for unweary merchants who would be carrying with them valuables for or from trading.
To soon, it was time for the Polos to leave. But, while his father and uncle returned to Venice, Marco Polo stayed behind in China to learn more about their land and culture. Niccolo and Maffeo arrived back home in Italy nine years after they had left.
Marco Polo lived in China for seventeen years, leaving back for home when he was thirty-four. He wrote a book about his life there. It was full of wild tales, most of which were fake. But he made a big impact on trading in China. More and more merchants dared across the silk road. Trading there became much more popular. As did Marco Polo.
-KittyLover8
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