The Silk Road was about 7, 000 kilometers long. It went across Europe and Asia. Many people traveled on this road to buy and sell silk and other things.
Marco Polo started to travel on the Silk Road when he was 17, in the year 1271. He traveled from Italy to China and saw many new things. The days were really hard. Sometimes there was no food or water. It was a difficult road to travel on, but Marco felt confident(自信的).
When he was 21, Marco met the ruler of China, Kublai Khan. Kublai Kahn grew to like Marco very much. He wanted Marco to work for him. So, the king sent Marco to different places in China, India and Burma. Marco stayed in China with Kublai Khan for the next 17 years.
Marco went back to Italy when he was 41. He met the writer Rustichello and told him a lot about his travels. Rustichello then wrote a book called The Travels of Marco Polo. Many people read this book, and Marco became famous. Marco lived to the age of 70. You can still see his house in Italy today.
