Polo was born in the city of Venice, Italy. His father and uncle were merchants and business partners. They made a trip to China in 1260. they stayed there for years before returning to Venice. In 1269 they mad another journey there with Polo. They reached China in 1275. The Polos were the first Europeans to visit most of the territory in China.
Marco entered Kublai Khan's diplomatic service, acting as his agent on missions. He was governor of a Chinese city called Yangzhou (pronounced Yangchow) for three years. The Polos stayed in China until 1292 and arrived back to Venice in 1925.
in 1928 Marco Polo was captain of a Venetian galley that participated in a battle between the fleets of Venice and Genoa, he was taken prisoner. In prison he told a detailed story about all of his journeys. He was released from prison in 1299 and returned to Venice.
His book (The Travels of Marco Polo) gave Venetians their first influence of China and other countries around it. For a long time it was the only existing source in Europe of the Far East. The book became the source of the first accurate maps of China.
-Alex G.