 he ambassador convinced them
to follow him because the Kan had never seen Latins, and wished
met them, and would like to ask 'em many questions.
Then, they decided to go and cross Samarkand, Kashgar, Central Asia, Turfan, Hami, the Gobi
(terrible desert) and Dunhuang. After one year, "because of the snow and the overflow of
the rivers and torrents" they reached the Crown of the big Kubilai Kan
in Shangdu, the summer home situated in north west of Beijin, those magnificence surprised the visitors.
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Kubilai Kan
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* * *
Magnifiscence of Shangdu, and a poem of S.T. Coleridge, with the name Xanadu.
The poem starts like this :
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree :
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
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Extract of Kubla Khan, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Automn 1797, or Spring 1798, published in 1816
You will find here, the entire text
* * *
Brothers Matteo and Niccolo bring presents to the Emperor
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he Emperor asked them many questions
on their world. Niccolo and Matteo who spoke Tatar could answer him correctly without default
and non-sense due to wrong translation. One year later, the Polo went back with as mission
to transmit a message to the pope Clement IV. In resume : send 100
doctors (sense of the knowledge) which goal is to teach the christian religion and sciences of
occident (actually we could call this transfer of technology) ; and a few of oil of the lamp
of the "Saint Sepulcre" of .Jerusalem.
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To be sure the two brothers will not have problems when crossing the territory, the Emperor gave
them a golden gerege. When they arrived in Acra, they learn the vacancy
of the Church. A new pope must be elected (and it will be Gregoiry X)
but the Polo don't wait and continue their trip.
* * *
hey need three years to go back home
in 1269, after sixteen years out. They were dressed with mongolian clothes, and not recognisized
in a first time. Niccolo discovered his wife was dead, and that his son, he didn't see borning, was
now fiveteen years old.
Then, after all dangers during the trip, Niccolo opened the way to the Orient to his son Marco.
History continues here |
