Chapter 1 (the most famous traveller of all)
explains that Marco Polo was the most important
traveller of his time. He came from a family of rich
merchants in Venice and he journeyed to China on the
Silk Road with his father and uncle. He lived in China
for many years but finally returned to his home city. He
later wrote a book called the description of the
World which introduced Europeans to new things
such as gunpowder and paper money, and gave
a wonderful picture of the great Mongol ruler
Kublai Khan.