What is the relationship between Marco Polo and Beijing?
The renowned Italian traveler Marco Polo left home in the winter of 1271 for China with his father and uncle. The journey took over three years to complete. They arrived in Beijing in May 1275. He was the first Westerner to have walked on the Lugou Bridge and introduced it to the West. For that reason, the bridge is also known in the West as Marco Polo Bridge. In his travelogue, Marco Polo described in great details the capital city of Beijing which aroused keen interest from the West in the city. Many of the places he described in his book became hot destinations for Western tourists. Many of Beijing’s curio stores are named after the Italian traveler.
