Which explorer followed the Silk Road on his journey to Cathay?

Which explorer followed the Silk Road on his journey to Cathay?

• A. Zheng He
• B. Marco Polo
• C. Ibn Battuta
• D. Christopher Columbus

Answer: (B)

The Silk Road was a network of overland routes linking Europe and Asia, and Cathay is an old name for China. Marco Polo, traveling from Venice with his father and uncle in the late 13th century, followed those long overland routes across Central Asia to the Yuan court in Cathay. He spent many years there and later wrote detailed accounts of his experiences, bringing vivid images of Asia back to Europe. This makes his journey the classic example of traveling the Silk Road to Cathay. The other explorers are known for different kinds of journeys: Zheng He led vast sea voyages across the Indian Ocean; Columbus crossed the Atlantic in search of a western route to Asia; Ibn Battuta traveled extensively and did reach China, but his voyage isn’t the same well-known Silk Road overland trek to Cathay.

The Silk Road was a network of overland routes linking Europe and Asia, and Cathay is an old name for China. Marco Polo, traveling from Venice with his father and uncle in the late 13th century, followed those long overland routes across Central Asia to the Yuan court in Cathay. He spent many years there and later wrote detailed accounts of his experiences, bringing vivid images of Asia back to Europe. This makes his journey the classic example of traveling the Silk Road to Cathay. The other explorers are known for different kinds of journeys: Zheng He led vast sea voyages across the Indian Ocean; Columbus crossed the Atlantic in search of a western route to Asia; Ibn Battuta traveled extensively and did reach China, but his voyage isn’t the same well-known Silk Road overland trek to Cathay.