A modern expedition has retraced Marco Polo’s route across parts of Asia, following his travels through Iran and much of Afghanistan before continuing across China. The journey examined whether landscapes, cities and surviving traditions still offer clues to the Venetian merchant’s account.
National Geographic traveled about 2,600 miles from the remote areas of China’s Xinjiang region to Beijing. The route crossed a broad stretch of the historic Silk Road and connected some of the places associated with Polo’s journey to the court of Kublai Khan.
The expedition also encountered an ongoing debate about Polo’s role in China. Professor Zhu Jiang of Yangzhou University, described as a supporter of Polo’s story, argues that Kublai Khan had reason to rely on administrators after conquering the territory of the Song dynasty in southern China.
That perspective reflects the wider question surrounding Polo’s travels: how much of his account can be supported by historical evidence, and how much remains disputed. Retracing the route offers a contemporary view of the distances, terrain and political world described in the famous narrative.
